title: Promoting healthy eating and active playtime by connecting to nature families with preschool children: evaluation of pilot study "Play&Grow".
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This pilot project aimed to evaluate the "Play&Grow" program which promotes age-appropriate dietary habits and playtime healthy routines through "connectedness to nature" experiences in Hong Kong families with young children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight preschoolers (aged 33.97 ± 9.38 mo), mothers, and their domestic workers were recruited. The families attended one workshop/week for a 4-mo period, consisting of: (i) health topic; (ii) food games; (iii) nature-related outdoor activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Feeding practices, particularly Promoting and Encouragement to eat (PE) and Instrumental Feeding (IF) improved after the intervention (P = 0.008 and P = 0.016, respectively). Mother's BMI, responsibility for child's meal, child's birth weight had a bearing on the improvement of PE, r2= 0.243, F(3,33) = 3.54, P = 0.025. Domestic helper's responsibility for child's cooking and her IF practices could predict child's picky eating (r2= 0.203, F(2,34) = 4.322, P = 0.021). Mother's responsibility for child and helper's responsibility for cooking could predict child's consumption of salty foods (r2= 0.252, F(2,34) = 5.737, P = 0.007). Physical activity of caregivers improved after the intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pilot confirmed the design, protocols, evaluation instruments, and logistics of the study. Modified "Play&Grow" intervention will be conducted in a more rigorous randomized controlled trial to determine the long-term impact on obesity prevention in Hong Kong.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sobko
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Zhenzhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Chia-Huei
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tseng
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D017028:Caregivers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D010349:Patient Compliance; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires