HomeStyles-2 for SNAP-Ed families with children in middle childhood: Cluster randomized trial protocol

Abstract

Background: Childhood obesity prevention efforts are needed in the United States, especially for families with low income. The purpose of this study is to determine whether HomeStyles-2, a nutrition education and childhood obesity prevention program for families with children in middle childhood (ages 6 to 11 years), motivates parents to re-shape their home environments and weight-related lifestyle practices to be more supportive of meeting national nutrition and physical activity recommendations and weight status of their children more so than those in the control condition.

Methods: A research-practice partnership with Florida's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) program was formed to conduct a cluster randomized trial to evaluate the HomeStyles-2 intervention. SNAP-Ed-eligible individuals who are parents/caregivers of children aged 6-11 living in the study catchment area will be invited to enroll in the study and participate in a six-lesson series using the HomeStyles-2 program or an attention control program. The primary outcome measures related to parent weight-related behaviors will be assessed on the individual level. Linear mixed models with a hierarchical design will be used to assess outcomes of interest.

Discussion: This study has the potential to demonstrate the effectiveness of a new curriculum implemented in a federal nutrition education program. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, adjustments were made to the intervention design to allow for virtual delivery of the intervention through SNAP-Ed. This unanticipated change will offer much-needed research on the effectiveness of virtual nutrition education, which may help to expand SNAP-Ed's reach across the country.

Trial registration: NCT05019339.

Keywords: Childhood obesity; Home environment; Nutrition education; SNAP-education.