Health Literacy and Obesogenic Behaviors

NCT04252677 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: HLSQUARED01R21DK117345
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The prevalence of adolescent behaviors that can lead to obesity are alarming, and reduced life expectancy is the future of America's youth if behavioral changes are not implemented to improve health and reduce the obesity burden. Researchers have argued that health literacy is a precursor to health knowledge and is necessary for translating knowledge about healthy choices into behavior, with low health literacy being associated with reduced preventive health behaviors in adults. Given the lack of health literacy-specific interventions addressing adolescents' obesogenic behaviors, the purpose of this study is to examine the preliminary effectiveness of adding a health literacy module to an obesity prevention intervention that addresses adolescents' obesogenic behaviors.

Conditions

Obesity, Adolescent; Health Behavior; Diet, Healthy; Exercise; Health Literacy; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Keywords

health literacy; obesity; diet; physical activity; information-motivation-behavioral skills model; adolescent

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Improvement in Participants' Healthy Eating Behaviors as Assessed by the Dietary Screener Questionnaire and the National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study

  Percent of participants improved healthy eating (e.g., fruits and vegetables) behaviors

  5 months

• Reductions in Participants' Unhealthy Eating Behaviors as Assessed by the Dietary Screener Questionnaire and the National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study

  Percent of participants reduce unhealthy eating (sugary and salty foods, junk foods) behaviors

  5 months

• Improvements in Participants' Physical Activity as Assessed by the Youth Activity Profile

  Percent of participants increase number of days with 60 minutes of more of physical activity

  5 months

• Improvements in Participants' Physical Activity as Assessed by the Godin and Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire

  Percent of participants in weekly leisure activity score

  5 months

• Reductions in Participants' Sedentary Activity as Assessed by the Youth Activity Profile

  Percent of participants with increase in number of days with less than 2 hours of sedentary behaviors

  5 months

• Reduction in Participants' Sugar-sweetened Beverage Consumption as Measured by the Dietary Screener Questionnaire and the National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study

  Percent of participants with reduced sugar-sweetened beverage intake

  5 months

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Participants' Functional Health Literacy Will be Assessed Using the Assessments of Adolescent Health Literacy Scales

  5 months

• Participants' Interactive Health Literacy Assessed Using the Assessments of Adolescent Health Literacy Scales

  5 months

• Participants' Critical Health Literacy Will be Assessed Using the Assesments of Adolescent Health Literacy Scales

  5 months

• Participants' Media Health Literacy Will be Measured Using the Adolescent Media Health Literacy Scale and eHeals

  5 months

• Participants' Overall Health Literacy Will be Assessed Using the Assessments of Adolescent Health Literacy Scales

  5 months

Study Arms (2)

Vaping and Obesity Prevention Only

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Obesity prevention and vaping 1. Vaping: * Factual information about vaping devices and vaping * Beliefs and attitudes about nicotine products * Refusing and avoiding vaping * Recognizing addiction and getting help 2. Health information: • Factual information about healthy eating and activity (PA) 3. Motivation: * Personal: Create positive attitudes toward engagement in healthy eating and PA * Social: Enlisting social support to increase healthy eating and PA * Social: Identification of community resources that promote and support healthy eating and PA 4. Behavioral Skills * Tips for engaging in prevention behaviors and avoiding risk behaviors in the context of existing barriers * Skills for social situations around behaviors * Skills for making behavior part of routine * Build autonomy, self-efficacy and model good health decision-making for health behaviors

Behavioral: Obesity Prevention

Health Literacy and Obesity Prevention

EXPERIMENTAL

Obesity prevention and health literacy (HL). 1. Health Literacy * Functional HL: skills for reading/understanding nutrition labels and medication instructions. * Interactive HL: verbal skills for interacting with others on health issues. * Critical HL: connections between advocacy and health * Media HL: skills for accessing and identifying reliable source of media. 2. Health information: • Factual information about healthy eating and activity (PA) 3. Motivation: * Create positive attitudes toward engagement in healthy eating and PA * Enlisting social support to increase healthy eating and PA * Identification of community resources that promote and support healthy eating and PA 4. Behavioral Skills * Tips for engaging in prevention behaviors and avoiding risk behaviors * Skills for social situations around behaviors * Skills for making behavior part of routine * Build autonomy, self-efficacy and good health decision-making for health behaviors

Behavioral: Obesity Prevention; Behavioral: Health Literacy

Interventions

Obesity Prevention BEHAVIORAL

This intervention includes content specific to obesity behaviors-related health information, motivation, and behavioral skills.

Health Literacy and Obesity Prevention; Vaping and Obesity Prevention Only

Health Literacy BEHAVIORAL

This intervention includes content specific to improving health literacy.

Health Literacy and Obesity Prevention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Adolescents 13-16 years old at time of enrollment (may turn age 17 during the study
• Must have parental consent
• All weight classifications

You may not qualify if:

• Adolescents younger than 13 years or older than 16 years at time of enrollment
• No parental consent
• Medical conditions preventing engagement in physical activity
• Medical conditions resulting in extremely restricted diets (e.g., ketogenic diet)
• Already participating in an intervention related to healthy eating, physical activity and/or obesity prevention or treatment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• City University of New York, School of Public Health: lead
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy

New York, New York, 10027, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Fleary SA. A Web-Based Intervention to Improve Health Literacy and Obesogenic Behaviors Among Adolescents: Protocol of a Randomized Pilot Feasibility Study for a Parallel Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2022 Aug 16;11(8):e40191. doi: 10.2196/40191.

  PMID: 35972787 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pediatric Obesity; Health Behavior; Behavior; Motor Activity; Obesity

Interventions

Health Literacy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overweight; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Consumer Health Information; Health Education; Preventive Health Services; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Sasha A Fleary
• Organization: CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy

sasha.fleary@sph.cuny.edu

6463640282

Study Officials

• Sasha A Fleary, PhD

  City University of New York

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 16, 2020
• First Posted: February 5, 2020
• Study Start: November 16, 2022
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2024
• Study Completion: December 30, 2024
• Last Updated: May 1, 2026
• Results First Posted: May 1, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)