An RCT to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours from infancy: an intervention to prevent childhood overweight [ 2008 - 2010 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Karen Campbell (Principal investigator) ,  A/Pr Kylie Hesketh ,  Dr Zoe Mccallum ,  Prof David Crawford ,  Prof Jo Salmon
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Brief description In Australia, one in four school-aged children is currently overweight and childhood obesity rates are continuing to rise. In the last five years it has become clear that rates of overweight and obesity are also rapidly increasing in pre-school age children. These are issues that are of concern to health officials as well as to parents. We understand that these rising rates in fatness relate to children's diet and activity patterns, and that these patterns, once established are likely to be patterns for life. To date, there has been relatively little research regarding the chance to support parents to establish the eating and activity patterns that will protect their children from the very beginning of life. This project seeks to support first-time parents to establish healthy eating and activity behaviours in their children using the highly utilised Maternal and Child Health Centres first time parents' groups. We believe that these groups will provide a strongly supportive environment in which to provide parents with strategies and knowledge for promoting healthy eating and activity patterns for their children, and in turn, promote healthy weight gain. This project will assess the effectiveness of this intervention.

Funding Amount $AUD 578,631.23

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant