Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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WITHDRAWN
NA
INTERVENTIONAL
2020-10-31
2021-12-31
Brief Summary
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The long term goal is to apply simple, low cost, assistive technologies (heart rate variability \[HRV\] biofeedback together with mobile health tools) to teach relaxation breathing in the Boston Medical Center pediatric clinic setting following a trauma-informed care model. For this research both a mobile app for relaxation breathing skills and reminder text messages will be provided for the at-risk target population. The investigators will assess the feasibility and acceptability of relaxation breathing intervention in 60 parent-child dyads. These dyads will be randomly assigned to receive either (1) biofeedback relaxation training alone or (2) Technology-enhanced relaxation breathing (biofeedback relaxation training together with mobile health tools). Outcome measures will assess relaxation breathing practice, anxiety, and parental stress at the time of the intervention and at one month follow up.
Detailed Description
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1. The StressEraser is a handheld biofeedback device that measures heart rate variability (HRV). Heart rate increases during inspiration and decreases during expiration. This HRV, depicted on a miniature screen, essentially represents respirations. We have been using this device in the pediatric outpatient department over the past two years (in a non research entity) and it has been well accepted by children 6 years of age and above. In our prior study, which took place in school, the device was also easily mastered and acceptable to children above 6 years of age.
2. Breathe2Relax is a free mobile app, developed by the Dept. of Defense's National Center for Telehealth and Technology to help veterans with PTSD and others use breathing practice for stress management. This application guides users in relaxation breathing and is available for both android and iOS phones. It is adapted for children 6 years and up. The user downloads the app. and is walked through steps that easily explain the purpose of the app (to guide relaxation breathing). The active part of the app shows a tube that fills in during inspiration and empties during expiration. For children the cycle lengths can be shortened which is explained to participating parents by the research team. There is a selection of quiet music and the user can choose backgrounds for personalization. The Breath2Relax app will be downloaded for the RT-enhanced group at the time of the intervention for the RT-enhanced group, and the parent will be shown how to modify the length of the breath cycle depending on their child's age.
3. Text messages: Weekly texts will be sent out to parents in the RT-enhanced group regarding relaxation breathing and to remind parents to practice the daily relaxation breathing with their child.
For the breathing training, the study research assistant (RA) will follow the standardized protocol used in BMC pediatric clinic over the past two years. The child is taught firstand learns how to use relaxation breathing and then the child teaches their parent how it works with the support of the RA. This step assures that the child has learned the relaxation breathing skills and also creates a moment when relaxation breathing is practiced together by the dyad. The parent-child dyad are encouraged to practice relaxation breathing once daily.Caregivers usually choose bedtime to practice breathing because the practice can be done while the child is in bed.
The training is followed for the Technology-enhanced relaxation breathing group by downloading the Breath2Relax app on the parent's smartphone. Parents will be prompted by the RA to choose a specific time each day to practice the relaxation breathing with their child, and for the Technology-enhanced relaxation breathing group using the Breath2Relax app.
Conditions
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Keywords
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
PREVENTION
NONE
Study Groups
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Relaxation breathing training
Dyads of a parent and their child in this group will receive training on how to use breathing to relax with the StressEraser in the pediatric clinic and will then practice the breathing for about 4 weeks They will also complete a baseline questionnaire and two questionnaires one month after the training.
The StressEraser
The StressEraser is a handheld biofeedback device that measures heart rate variability (HRV). Heart rate increases during inspiration and decreases during expiration. The HRV, depicted on a miniature screen, essentially represents respirations. The investigator's prior study demonstrated that the device is easily mastered and acceptable to children above 6 years of age.
Technology-enhanced relaxation breathing
Dyads of a parent and their child in this group will receive technology-enhanced training on how to use breathing to relax with the StressEraser and the app Breathe2Relax in the pediatric clinic and will then practice the breathing for about 4 weeks and weekly receive weekly reminder text messages to practice their relaxation breathing. They will also complete a baseline questionnaire and two questionnaires one month after the training.
The StressEraser
The StressEraser is a handheld biofeedback device that measures heart rate variability (HRV). Heart rate increases during inspiration and decreases during expiration. The HRV, depicted on a miniature screen, essentially represents respirations. The investigator's prior study demonstrated that the device is easily mastered and acceptable to children above 6 years of age.
Breathe2Relax
Breathe2Relax is a free mobile app, developed by the Dept. of Defense's National Center for Telehealth and Technology to help veterans with PTSD and others use breathing practice for stress management. This application guides users in relaxation breathing and is available for both android and iOS phones. It is adapted for children 6 years and up. For instance, the cycles can be shortened for children, there is a selection of quiet music and the user can choose backgrounds for personalization.
Reminder text messages
Weekly texts will be sent out to parents in the technology-enhanced relaxation breathing group to as reminders to practice the daily relaxation breathing with their child.
Interventions
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The StressEraser
The StressEraser is a handheld biofeedback device that measures heart rate variability (HRV). Heart rate increases during inspiration and decreases during expiration. The HRV, depicted on a miniature screen, essentially represents respirations. The investigator's prior study demonstrated that the device is easily mastered and acceptable to children above 6 years of age.
Breathe2Relax
Breathe2Relax is a free mobile app, developed by the Dept. of Defense's National Center for Telehealth and Technology to help veterans with PTSD and others use breathing practice for stress management. This application guides users in relaxation breathing and is available for both android and iOS phones. It is adapted for children 6 years and up. For instance, the cycles can be shortened for children, there is a selection of quiet music and the user can choose backgrounds for personalization.
Reminder text messages
Weekly texts will be sent out to parents in the technology-enhanced relaxation breathing group to as reminders to practice the daily relaxation breathing with their child.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* primary language either English or Spanish
* parent has a working smartphone
Exclusion Criteria
* parent who does not speak or read English or Spanish
6 Years
11 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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Boston Medical Center
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Naomi Steiner, MD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Boston Medical Center
Locations
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Boston Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Countries
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Other Identifiers
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H-36659
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id