Pilot RCT of an Obesity Intervention for Primary Care Pediatrics: Helping HAND

This is a feasibility study to evaluate a 6-month obesity treatment intervention (Helping HAND: Health Activity and Nutrition Directions) for pediatric primary care clinics. The program targets 5-8 year old children and their parents to change the child's lifestyle behaviors and the associated parenting practices to improve the child's weight status. Four community clinics participated. Families were recruited from clinics and after informed consent and baseline data have been obtained, the families were randomized into one of two groups: (1) the treatment group who immediately participated in Helping HAND or (2) the wait list control group, who started the program 7 months later. Data were gathered on all the participating children and their parents at three time points: baseline, post the intervention (month 7) and post the wait list control group completing the intervention (month 14). This was a pilot study to test the feasibility of an obesity prevention plus program delivered in the child's primary care clinic. The primary outcome was family attendance to the 3 data-collection meetings with research staff and the 6 prevention plus intervention sessions with a trained Health Advisor.