Evaluation of a national government-led public health intervention to prevent childhood obesity

ISRCTN	ISRCTN00791709
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN00791709
Protocol serial number	N/A
Sponsor	Department of Health (UK)
Funder	Department of Health (UK)

Submission date: 23/09/2009
Registration date: 03/11/2009
Last edited: 04/07/2013

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Nutritional, Metabolic, Endocrine

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Prof Jane Wardle
Scientific

Health Behaviour Research Centre
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
University College London (UCL)
1 - 19 Torrington Place
London
WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom

Email	j.wardle@ucl.ac.uk

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Study design	Randomised controlled trial
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Study type	Participant information sheet
Scientific title	Evaluation of a national social marketing campaign to prevent childhood obesity: a randomised controlled trial
Study objectives	As compared to a no intervention control group, does taking part in a social marketing campaign have positive effects on: 1. Parents' attitudes about children's eating, activity and weight 2. Parents' intentions to change child or family eating and activity behaviours 3. Parents' knowledge about food and physical activity recommendations for children 4. Actual change in child and family eating and activity behaviours (for example, number and type of snacks, sugary drink intake, fruit and vegetable intake, hours in sedentary behaviours) We will also look at the longer term impact of the campaign, the types of strategies that parents use to encourage the take up of healthy behaviours in their children and how demographic variables (e.g., socioeconomic status [SES] and ethnicity) modify response.
Ethics approval(s)	University College London (UCL) Research Ethics Committee approved on the 19th May 2009 (ref: 0793/002)
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Obesity
Intervention	The study will evaluate a social marketing campaign including a questionnaire with presonalised feedback and written materials with accompanying resources. The social marketing campaign has two stages and we will be evaluating the independent impact of each. Stage 1: Parents will be recruited (target 4,200) from 40 primary schools in England. All parents of children in years 1 - 6 will be invited to participate. Parents will initially complete a brief baseline questionnaire including demographic information, weight concern and awareness of public health compaigns. Stage 2: Parents will be randomised at the school level to either an intervention group (who will receive the first stage of the campaign materials) or a 'usual care' control condition (who will not receive the campaign materials). All parents will receive a follow up questionnaire after 3 months to assess differences between the two intervention conditions for the variables outlined in the study hypotheses. Stage 3: Parents who received the first stage of the campaign materials will be further randomised to either an intervention group (who will receive the second stage of the campaign materials) or a control condition (who will not receive the second stage of the campaign materials). All participating parents will receive a further follow up questionnaire to evaluate the impact of the second stage of the campaign. Stage 4: Home-based interviews will be carried out with a subset of families in the control and intervention groups to obtain more detailed information on diet and activity practices and implementation of campaign recommendations. The intervention periods for both phase 1 and 2 of the campaign is 3 months each, making the total intervention period 6 months.
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure(s)	Intentions to change and actual change in child's eating and activity behaviours, measured at the end of each of the two intervention periods.
Key secondary outcome measure(s)	Measured at the end of each of the two intervention periods: 1. Parents' attitudes about childrens eating, activity and weight 2. Parents' knowledge about food and physical activity recommendations for children 3. Strategies employed by parents to facilitate change in children's and family's eating and activity behaviours
Completion date	01/01/2011

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Adult
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	4200
Key inclusion criteria	All parents of children in years 1 - 6 in participating primary schools
Key exclusion criteria	Does not meet inclusion criteria
Date of first enrolment	01/06/2009
Date of final enrolment	01/01/2011

Locations

Countries of recruitment

United Kingdom
England

Study participating centre

Health Behaviour Research Centre

London
WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Results article	results	06/06/2012		Yes	No
Participant information sheet	Participant information sheet	11/11/2025	11/11/2025	No	Yes