Promotion of Healthy Eating Habits and Physical Activity Among Children and Their Families.

NCT06794411 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 24/092
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 57
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Eating habits and physical activity are key determinants of individual health. The family plays a relevant role in educating children about healthy lifestyles. In the Moroccan community, women are the reference for aspects related to family care. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the ALIAFF program on awareness and promotion of healthy eating and the practice of regular physical activity in families with a situation of social vulnerability linked to the socio-educational intervention services of the Osona County Council (CCO). Children aged 9-12 years, along with their reference adult linked to the CCO's Socio-educational Intervention Services (SIS) with low adherence to the Mediterranean diet and/or low physical activity levels, with an interest to participate in the program who are able to independently reach the municipal centre. The study involves participating in an initial meeting to co-create and culturally adapt the program. Following this, selected participants will complete the initial data collection with the help of a mediator of Moroccan origin. The intervention group will participate in five nutrition and physical activity sessions of 1.5 hours. After the intervention, both the control and the intervention group will participate in the final evaluation, which will also be repeated after two months to assess the longer-term impact. Upon completion of the evaluation, the control group will also receive the intervention as compensation for their participation.

Conditions

Families; Children; Food Habits; Physical Activity

Keywords

intervention; Family-based intervention; health promotion; children; Nutrition and physical activity; Social Vulnerability

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Physical activity practice

  The International Questionnaire of Physical Activity - short version (IPAQ-SF) is the short version of the IPAQ (Craig et al., 2003), validated in Spain by Roman-Viñas et al. (2010).It measures, through 7 questions, the physical activity (vigorous, moderate and light) and the sitting time, and provide data for the total minutes of physical activity per week and the amount of sitting time per day.

  Baseline (before study started), up to 5 weeks (through study completion)

• Adults adherence to the Mediterranean diet

  Identified through a Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Is a validated 14-item scale (Schröder et al., 2011) that assess questions related to food intake and frequency of consumption of foods that are typical and non-typical of the Mediterranean diet. The questions are dichotomous on habitual intakes of several food items. Responses that are favourable to the adoption of the Mediterranean diet score as 1 point, while response unfavourable are scored as 0. The final score ranges from 1 to 14. A score greater than 9 means high adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

  Baseline (before study started), up to 5 weeks (through study completion)

• Child adherence to the Mediterranean diet

  The KIDMED test (Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and teenagers) is a tool to evaluate the adherence to the mediterranean diet for children and youths. It was developed and validated by Serra-Majem et al. (2001). The index ranges from 0 to 12 and is based on a 16-questions test that can be self-administered or conducted by interview (pediatrician, dietitian, etc.). Questions denoting a negative connotation with respect to the MD are assigned a value of -1, and those with a positive aspect +1. The sums of the values from the administered test are classified into three levels: 1) \>8, optimal Mediterranean Diet; 2) 4-7, improvement needed to adjust intake to Mediterranean patterns; 3) ≤3, very low diet quality.

  Baseline (before study started), up to 5 weeks (through study completion)

• Nutrition literacy

  2-item about nutritional knowledge measured by: true, false, I don't know, and 2 about nutritional skills measured with 5 points Likert scale were 1 is very easy and 5 is strongly difficult.

  Baseline (before study started), up to 5 weeks (through study completion)

• Physical activity literacy

  2-item about physical activity knowledge measured by: true, false, I don't know, and 2 about physical activity skills measured with 5 points Likert scale were 1 is very easy and 5 is strongly difficult.

  Baseline (before study started), up to 5 weeks (through study completion)

• Atitude towards healthy food habits and physical activity

  Lima-Serrano et al. (2012) questionnaire: 18 ítems. 5 point Likert scale where 1 is totally disagree and 5 is totally agree.

  Baseline (before study started) 5 weeks 8 weeks (through study completion)

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Socio-demographic

  Baseline

• Food allergies

  Baseline

• Limitations to practice physical activity

  Baseline

• Health perception

  Baseline (before study started), up to 5 weeks (through study completion)

Study Arms (2)

Intervention group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Food habits and physical activity program.

Behavioral: Intervention group: Food habits and physical activity program

Control group

OTHER

Usual care.

Behavioral: Usual Care Group

Interventions

Intervention group: Food habits and physical activity program BEHAVIORAL

5 dynamic face-to-face sessions to promote healthy eating and regular physical activity. The 5 sessions are structured based on the pedagogical approach of Seeing, Judging and Acting (Gibson, 1999; Rodríguez-Bailón, et al., 2016). This methodology provides a logical structure to achieve nutritional and physical activity self-analysis. It is applied based on 3 stages: * 1st reflective stage: to raise awareness about the importance of following healthy eating and physical activity habits and identify to what extent families are close to the healthy recommendations in relation to these two habits (first two sessions). * 2nd: more active stage, to acquire strategies and learn to put these recommendations into practice in their day-to-day lives (session 3th and 4th session). * 3th: to plan specific actions to address and transform some aspects of improvement by freely assuming one's own commitment proposals with the aim of modifying the presented reality, if deemed appropriate (last session).

Also known as: Nutrition and physical activity education

Intervention group

Usual Care Group BEHAVIORAL

They will be evaluated on baseline, final and follow up, and they will recieved basic nutritional and physical activity information.

Control group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 9 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Children aged 9-12, along with their reference adult linked to the CCO's SIS (using the RUMI social diagnosis tool).
• Low adherence to the Mediterranean diet and/or low physical activity levels in either the child or the reference adult.
• For children \<3 points of KIDMED indicate a low level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
• For adults \<5 points of MEDAS indicate low adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
• Through IPAQ fewer than three days of vigorous physical activity, five days of moderate physical activity, or walking less than 30 minutes per day are considered low physical activity levels.
• Having an interest in participating in a group program.
• Ability to independently reach the municipal centre.

You may not qualify if:

• Basic diagnosis of a serious intellectual developmental disorder that could make it impossible to follow the proposed sessions.
• Clinical contraindications for the practice of physical activity.
• Following a medically established dietary guideline that is incompatible with the Mediterranean diet.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia: lead
• The Social Services Administration: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Social Services of the Regional Council of Osona

Vic, Barcelona, 08500, Spain

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Feeding Behavior; Motor Activity

Interventions

Nutritional Status

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior, Animal; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Health Status; Demography; Population Characteristics

Study Officials

• Cristina V Vaque Crusellas, Doctrate

  University of Vic-University Central of Catalonia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

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

Model Details: Quasi-experimental pilot study with control group, not randomized

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 11, 2025
• First Posted: January 27, 2025
• Study Start: December 23, 2024
• Primary Completion: January 20, 2025
• Study Completion: March 3, 2025
• Last Updated: July 1, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Locations

ES (1)