Modifying the Home Television Watching Environment

NCT ID: NCT00065052

Last Updated: 2010-01-13

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 70 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2002-09-30
• Study Completion Date: 2007-05-31

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if limiting television (TV) and computer time will result in a stabilization or smaller increase in body mass index (BMI), lower energy intake, and increased physical activity in 4-7 year old obese (>85th BMI percentile) children over two years.

Detailed Description

There is a positive correlation between obesity and television watching in adults and children. And, television watching, controlling for current obesity, is a predictor of future obesity. Almost half of all children watch 3 or more hours of television each day. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children watch no more than 1-2 hours each day.

Families will be randomized to one of two conditions. Half the families will be taught to use the TV Allowance to reduce their child's TV and computer use by one-half over a six month period and the other half will use the device to monitor TV watching (control group). This study uses TV Allowance units to monitor home television watching, video game playing, and computer use. The TV Allowance can also be used to limit the amount of TV and computer use by programming it to allow a specific number of hours for each family member. Heights, weights, food intake, and physical activity will be measured at baseline and every six months. The purpose of this study is to determine if limiting television and computer time will result in a stabilization or smaller increase in BMI, lower energy intake, and increased physical activity in 4-7 year old obese (>85th BMI percentile) children over two years.

Conditions

Obesity; Body Weight Changes

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Interventions

Behavior modification

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Greater than the 85th BMI percentile
• Minimum of 15 hours of TV watching, computer use, and video game playing per week
• No medical conditions that may affect the child's ability to safely participate in physical activity

• Minimum Eligible Age: 4 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 7 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

NIH

Sponsor Role: lead

Principal Investigators

Leonard H. Epstein, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

State Universtiy of New York at Buffalo, Department of Pediatrics

Locations

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York, United States

Countries

United States

References

Epstein LH, Roemmich JN, Robinson JL, Paluch RA, Winiewicz DD, Fuerch JH, Robinson TN. A randomized trial of the effects of reducing television viewing and computer use on body mass index in young children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008 Mar;162(3):239-45. doi: 10.1001/archpediatrics.2007.45.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 18316661 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

1R01DK063442

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

MODHTV (completed)

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id