Family Eats:Cancer Prevention for Families

NCT ID: NCT00983840

Last Updated: 2015-03-20

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 151 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2009-09-30
• Study Completion Date: 2012-10-31

Brief Summary

Poor diets lead to weight problems, and may increase cancer risk. Cancers may develop over a long period of time, with some possibly initiating in childhood. Therefore, promoting healthy diets and preventing excess weight gain during childhood could be cancer protective. Families influence children's dietary behaviors by their actions and controlling the home food environment. The internet provides family access to interventions with the convenience of the home. An eight-session interactive web-based program promoting a healthy home food environment for African-American families with 9-12 year old daughters (Family Eats) was previously developed and tested. This study tests whether the Family Eats web program improves diet and weight outcomes among 320 African-American families with 8-12 year old children. This important study will pioneer a new channel for behavior change intervention with African-American families and holds the promise of reaching large numbers of children and their families, enabling all to adopt healthy eating behaviors and achieve energy balance and reduce cancer risks.

Detailed Description

Although the burden of cancer is high among individuals of all ethnicities, ethnic differences in cancer incidence and mortality exist. African-Americans experience a higher incidence of certain cancers compared with the White population, with mortality rates at least 40% higher than other populations. Obesity, high fat, and low fruit (F) and vegetable (V) intakes increase cancer risks. Cancers may develop over a long period of time, with some possibly initiating in childhood; therefore, promoting FV and preventing excess weight gain during childhood could be cancer protective. Families influence children's dietary behaviors by direct modeling of dietary behaviors, parenting skills around food, and controlling the home food environment. However, few intervention studies have focused on family influences on dietary behaviors, particularly among ethnic minority groups which may differ in cultural and other aspects of family functioning. Unfortunately, low participation rates for community-based family interventions suggest that alternate intervention delivery systems be investigated. The internet provides family access within the convenience of the home. In a previous R21 application, the Principal Investigator developed an eight-session interactive web-based program promoting a healthy home food environment for African-American families with 9-12 year old daughters (Family Eats). Family Eats was evaluated for feasibility and changes in mediating variables were obtained. This proposal will test the efficacy of the Family Eats web program to improve FV and dietary fat behavior and weight outcomes among 320 AA families with 8-12 year old children. This important study will pioneer a new channel for behavior change intervention with African-American families and holds the promise of reaching large numbers of children and their families, enabling all to adopt healthy eating behaviors and achieve energy balance and reduce cancer risks.

Conditions

Healthy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Family Eats

8-session program on health eating

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Family Eats

Intervention Type: OTHER

8-session web-based program on healthy eating for African American families

Family eats- plain

Family eats without role model stories and goal setting

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Family Eats

Intervention Type: OTHER

8-session web-based program on healthy eating for African American families

Interventions

Family Eats

8-session web-based program on healthy eating for African American families

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• African -American families with 8-10 year old children
• Home computer with dsl line

Exclusion Criteria

• Parents or children who report a medically prescribed diet, identified through a pre-screening questionnaire, will be excluded because these mothers may have received prior dietary counseling and have increased motivation for making dietary changes.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 8 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 10 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Baylor College of Medicine

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Karen Cullen

Associate professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Karen W Cullen, DrPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Baylor College of Medicine

Locations

Children's Nutrition Research Center

Houston, Texas, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

CA124505-01A1

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

124505-01A1

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id