TY - JOUR
T1 - An App-Based Parenting Program to Promote Healthy Energy Balance-Related Parenting Practices to Prevent Childhood Obesity
T2 - Protocol Using the Intervention Mapping Framework
AU - Karssen, Levie T
AU - Vink, Jacqueline M
AU - de Weerth, Carolina
AU - Hermans, Roel C J
AU - de Kort, Carina P M
AU - Kremers, Stef Pj
AU - Ruiter, Emilie L M
AU - Larsen, Junilla K
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors want to thank Dio Agency for building the Samen Happie! app, the youth health care professionals and parents who were involved in the development of the program materials for their valuable input, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre for providing the information and visuals, Hannah Niermann for translating one of the questionnaires, and all students who were involved in the project for assisting with participant recruitment or otherwise. This project was funded by a grant from Fonds NutsOhra awarded to JKL (100.939). CW’s work was supported by a Jacobs Foundation Advanced Research Fellowship and a grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (016.Vici.185.038). The funding agencies were not involved in the design and execution of the trial and will not be involved in the analysis or interpretation of the data or in the decision to publish the results. More information about the Samen Happie! program can be found at the Samen Happie! website [121] (available in Dutch and English).
Publisher Copyright:
© Levie T Karssen, Jacqueline M Vink, Carolina de Weerth, Roel C J Hermans, Carina P M de Kort, Stef PJ Kremers, Emilie L M Ruiter, Junilla K Larsen.
PY - 2021/5/14
Y1 - 2021/5/14
N2 - BACKGROUND: The family environment plays an important role in the development of children's energy balance-related behaviors. As a result, parents' energy balance-related parenting practices are important targets of preventive childhood obesity programs. Families with a lower socioeconomic position (SEP) may benefit from participating in such programs but are generally less well reached than families with a higher SEP.OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the application of the Intervention Mapping Protocol (IMP) for the development of an app-based preventive intervention program to promote healthy energy balance-related parenting practices among parents of children (aged 0-4 years) with a lower SEP.METHODS: The 6 steps of the IMP were used as a theory- and evidence-based framework to guide the development of an app-based preventive intervention program.RESULTS: In step 1, behavioral outcomes for the app-based program (ie, children have a healthy dietary intake, sufficient sleep, and restricted screen time and sufficient physical activity) and sociocognitive (ie, knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy) and automatic (ie, habitual behaviors) determinants of energy balance-related parenting were identified through a needs assessment. In step 2, the behavioral outcomes were translated into performance objectives. To influence these objectives, in step 3, theory-based intervention methods were selected for each of the determinants. In step 4, the knowledge derived from the previous steps allowed for the development of the app-based program Samen Happie! through a process of continuous cocreation with parents and health professionals. In step 5, community health services were identified as potential adopters for the app. Finally, in step 6, 2 randomized controlled trials were designed to evaluate the process and effects of the app among Dutch parents of infants (trial 1) and preschoolers (trial 2). These trials were completed in November 2019 (trial 1) and February 2020 (trial 2).CONCLUSIONS: The IMP allowed for the effective development of the app-based parenting program Samen Happie! to promote healthy energy balance-related parenting practices among parents of infants and preschoolers. Through the integration of theory, empirical evidence, and data from the target population, as well as the process of continued cocreation, the program specifically addresses parents with a lower SEP. This increases the potential of the program to prevent the development of obesity in early childhood among families with a lower SEP.TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Register NL6727, https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6727; Netherlands Trial Register NL7371, https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/7371.
AB - BACKGROUND: The family environment plays an important role in the development of children's energy balance-related behaviors. As a result, parents' energy balance-related parenting practices are important targets of preventive childhood obesity programs. Families with a lower socioeconomic position (SEP) may benefit from participating in such programs but are generally less well reached than families with a higher SEP.OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the application of the Intervention Mapping Protocol (IMP) for the development of an app-based preventive intervention program to promote healthy energy balance-related parenting practices among parents of children (aged 0-4 years) with a lower SEP.METHODS: The 6 steps of the IMP were used as a theory- and evidence-based framework to guide the development of an app-based preventive intervention program.RESULTS: In step 1, behavioral outcomes for the app-based program (ie, children have a healthy dietary intake, sufficient sleep, and restricted screen time and sufficient physical activity) and sociocognitive (ie, knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy) and automatic (ie, habitual behaviors) determinants of energy balance-related parenting were identified through a needs assessment. In step 2, the behavioral outcomes were translated into performance objectives. To influence these objectives, in step 3, theory-based intervention methods were selected for each of the determinants. In step 4, the knowledge derived from the previous steps allowed for the development of the app-based program Samen Happie! through a process of continuous cocreation with parents and health professionals. In step 5, community health services were identified as potential adopters for the app. Finally, in step 6, 2 randomized controlled trials were designed to evaluate the process and effects of the app among Dutch parents of infants (trial 1) and preschoolers (trial 2). These trials were completed in November 2019 (trial 1) and February 2020 (trial 2).CONCLUSIONS: The IMP allowed for the effective development of the app-based parenting program Samen Happie! to promote healthy energy balance-related parenting practices among parents of infants and preschoolers. Through the integration of theory, empirical evidence, and data from the target population, as well as the process of continued cocreation, the program specifically addresses parents with a lower SEP. This increases the potential of the program to prevent the development of obesity in early childhood among families with a lower SEP.TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Register NL6727, https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6727; Netherlands Trial Register NL7371, https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/7371.
U2 - 10.2196/24802
DO - 10.2196/24802
M3 - Article
C2 - 33988510
SN - 2561-326X
VL - 5
JO - JMIR Formative Research
JF - JMIR Formative Research
IS - 5
M1 - e24802
ER -