The NU-HOME RCT home food environment, family meal frequency, meal quality and children's dietary intake and physical activity outcomes.
Jayne A Fulkerson, Melissa Horning, Sarah Friend et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial evaluated secondary outcomes of the NU-HOME family-based obesity-prevention program in 114 rural children aged 7–10 years. Families received seven monthly interactive sessions or were assigned to a wait-list control; outcomes were assessed at baseline and after nine months. Compared with controls, intervention families improved more in home vegetable availability and the quality of foods and beverages served at evening meals. Children’s fruit intake increased by 1/3 cup relative to control, but this difference was not statistically significant (p = .07). Other measured dietary and physical activity outcomes did not differ significantly.
Key findings
- Intervention families had significantly greater improvement in home vegetable availability than wait-list controls (p < .05).
- The quality of foods and beverages served at evening meals improved more in intervention families (p < .05).
- Children’s fruit consumption increased by 1/3 cup relative to controls, a difference that was not statistically significant (p = .07).
- No significant group differences were found in family meal frequency, other specified dietary outcomes, MVPA, or screen time.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that a family-focused program can improve selected features of the home food environment in rural households, while effects across children’s diet and activity outcomes may be limited. Assessing these intermediate outcomes helps clarify which aspects of an obesity-prevention program change, without implying that these changes necessarily produce weight-related benefits.
What to keep in mind
The reported follow-up was nine months, and several measured outcomes showed no significant between-group differences.