Make a Move Intervention to Reduce Childhood Obesity.

Abstract

Guided by the social cognitive theory, this randomized controlled trial tested the "Make a Move," a provider-led intervention for Head Start parents aimed to produce changes in the outcomes of knowledge, attitude, and behavior of physical activity and healthy eating. Participants were parents of children ages 3-5 years enrolled in a Head Start program. Participants completed a 57-item questionnaire at baseline and postintervention. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test revealed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups in scores on knowledge of healthy eating ( z = 1.99, p = .05), attitude of physical activity ( z = 2.71, p < .01), and behavior of physical activity ( z = 2.03, p = .04). Ten participants (77%) completed all four intervention sessions. This study provided new insights into the relationship of a provider-led intervention with respect to knowledge, attitude, and behaviors in healthy eating and physical activity.