Use of Telehealth to Enhance Care in a Family-Centered Childhood Obesity Intervention

Abstract

Family-centered childhood obesity interventions have been found to be effective. We describe the use of telehealth for tailored behavior change support in a family-centered randomized trial. Children of 2 to 12 years with body mass index ≥85th percentile were randomized to Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) or Enhanced Primary Care + Coaching (EPC + C). EPC + C received 6 health coach visits (in-person or by video or phone call) over 1 year. Telehealth modalities included interactive text messaging, video calls, and an online community resource map. There were 360 children randomized to the EPC + C arm; 87% of parents completed ≥1 health coaching contacts. Overall, 93% parents were sent text messages of which 99% responded at least once. About 72% parents were very satisfied with the message content and 97% were satisfied with information provided about community health resources. The high level of participant engagement and satisfaction suggests that telehealth is feasible and acceptable in family-centered childhood obesity programs.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02124460.

Keywords: GIS; children; obesity; telehealth; text message; video call.