HomeStyles-2: Shaping HOME Environments and LifeSTYLES to Prevent Childhood Obesity in SNAP-Education

Childhood obesity prevention efforts are needed in the United States, especially for families with low income. Educating parents and caregivers on simple lifestyle and affordable home environment changes is an effective strategy to improve health outcomes for the entire family. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine whether HomeStyles-2, a nutrition education and childhood obesity prevention program for families with children in middle childhood (ages 6 to 11 years), motivates parents to shape their home environments and weight-related lifestyle practices to be more supportive of optimal health and weight status of their children aged 6-11 years more so than those in the control condition. The study will include the experimental group and an attention control group who will engage in a nutrition education program, Eat Healthy Be Active, that is equal in nonspecific treatment effects but does not overlap on topics covered in HomeStyles-2. This study will be implemented in Florida's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) program, which provides nutrition education and obesity prevention supports for individuals with low income who are receiving or eligible for SNAP benefits. Nutrition Educators will be randomized to the experimental or attention control condition, and will lead participants through virtual, group-based nutrition education series. The following data will be collected: sociodemographic characteristics of the participant and child; child and parent health status; parent weight-related cognitions; weight-related behaviors of the participant and child; and weight-related characteristics of the home environment. Enrollment for this study will begin late-2021.