Effects of parent-only childhood obesity prevention programs on BMIz and body image in rural preteens.

This experiment compared body image (BI) and BMI changes resulting from two parent-only obesity prevention interventions aimed at 8-12 year olds. Parents in the experimental intervention attended ten face-to-face educational sessions, while parents in the minimal (control) intervention received similar mailed information. Parent-child dyads (N=150) were semi-randomly assigned to intervention groups.

Childhood obesity prevention in rural settings: background, rationale, and study design of '4-Health,' a parent-only intervention.

Background: Childhood obesity in rural communities is a serious but understudied problem. The current experiment aims to assess a wide range of obesity risk factors among rural youth and to offer an 8-month intervention program for parents to reduce obesity risk in their preteen child.

Methods/design: A two-group, repeated measures design is used to assess the effectiveness of the 4-Health intervention program.