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Title: Fit 5 Kids TV reduction program for Latino preschoolers: A cluster randomized controlled trial

Author
item MENDOZA, JASON - Seattle Children'S Research Institute
item BARANOWSKI, TOM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item JARAMILLO, SANDRA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item FESINMEYER, MEGAN - Seattle Children'S Research Institute
item HAALAND, WREN - Seattle Children'S Research Institute
item Thompson, Deborah - Debbe
item NICKLAS, THERESA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/8/2015
Publication Date: 10/29/2015
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/62488
Citation: Mendoza, J.A., Baranowski, T., Jaramillo, S., Fesinmeyer, M.D., Haaland, W., Thompson, D.J., Nicklas, T.A. 2015. Fit 5 Kids TV reduction program for Latino preschoolers: A cluster randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.09.017.

Interpretive Summary: High levels of TV watching have been associated with a higher likelihood of obesity among children. This study tested the effect of the Fit 5 Kids TV reduction program on Latino preschool (Head Start) children's amount of TV viewing (as measured using a parent recorded diary) and total sedentary behavior time (as measured by an accelerometer). Children receiving the Fit 5 Kids TV reduction program reduced their TV viewing by about 25.3 minutes daily in comparison to a no intervention control group. The Fit 5 Kids TV reduction program should be re-tested in larger samples of Latino preschool children to validate the effect. These findings have implications for prevention of obesity, related disorders, and health equity.

Technical Abstract: Reducing Latino preschoolers' TV viewing is needed to reduce their risk of obesity and other chronic diseases. This study's objective was to evaluate the Fit 5 Kids (F5K) TV reduction program's impact on Latino preschooler's TV viewing. The study design was a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with randomization at the center level and N=160 participants. Latino children aged 3–5 years and their parents were recruited from six Head Start centers in Houston, TX in 2010–2012 with analyses in 2013–2014. F5K was culturally adapted for Latino preschoolers and the overall goal was to reduce TV viewing. Study staff taught F5K over 7–8 weeks during the regular Head Start day directly to intervention students. Control schools provided the usual Head Start curriculum, which did not specifically cover TV viewing. Individual-level outcomes were measured prior to (Time 1) and immediately following (Time 2) the intervention. The primary outcome, TV viewing (minutes/day), was measured by validated 7-day TV diaries (parent-reported). Sedentary time was measured by accelerometers. Per the adjusted repeated measures linear mixed effects model for TV viewing (minutes/day), intervention children decreased from 76.2 (9.9) at Time 1 to 52.1 (10.0) at Time 2, whereas control children remained about the same from 84.2 (10.5) at Time 1 to 85.4 (10.5) at Time 2. The relative difference from Time 1 to Time 2 was –25.3 (95% CI= –45.2, –5.4) minutes for intervention versus control children (N=160, p=0.01). In a similar adjusted model, there was a relative decrease in sedentary time (minutes/day) from Time 1 to Time 2 favoring the intervention children (–9.5, 95% CI= –23.0, 4.1), although not significant at p<0.05. F5K reduced Latino preschoolers' TV viewing by >25 minutes daily. These findings have implications for prevention of obesity, related disorders, and health equity.