The Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids randomized controlled trial: Efficacy of a healthy lifestyle program for overweight fathers and their children

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids (HDHK) program, which was designed to help overweight fathers lose weight and be a role model of positive health behaviors for their children.Design:Randomized controlled trial.Participants:A total of 53 overweight/obese men (mean (s.d.) age=40.6 (7.1) years; body mass index (BMI)33.2 (3.9)) and their primary school-aged children (n71, 54% boys; mean (s.d.) age=8.2 (2.0) years) were randomly assigned (family unit) to either (i) the HDHK program (n27 fathers, n39 children) or (ii) a wait-list control group (n26 fathers, n32 children).Intervention:Fathers in the 3-month program attended eight face-to-face education sessions. Children attended three of these sessions.Outcomes:The primary outcome was fathers weight. Fathers and their children were assessed at baseline, and at 3- and 6-month follow-up, for weight, waist circumference, BMI, blood pressure, resting heart rate (RHR), objectively measured physical activity and self-reported dietary intake.Results:Intention- to-treat analysis revealed significant between-group differences at 6 months for weight loss (P<0.001), with HDHK fathers losing more weight (7.6 kg; 95% confidence interval (CI) 9.2, 6.0; d0.54) than control group fathers (0.0 kg; 95% CI 1.4, 1.6). Significant treatment effects (P<0.05) were also found for waist circumference (d0.62), BMI (d0.53), systolic blood pressure (d0.92), RHR (d0.66) and physical activity (d0.91), but not for dietary intake. In children, significant treatment effects (P<0.05) were found for physical activity (d0.74), RHR (d0.51) and dietary intake (d0.84). Conclusion: The HDHK program resulted in significant weight loss and improved health-related outcomes in fathers and improved eating and physical activity among children. Targeting fathers is a novel and efficacious approach to improving health behavior in their children. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.