Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (TX CORD) Project (TXCORDRCT)

Systems Approach to Obesity Prevention in Underserved Children in Texas (Randomized Controlled Trial)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Baylor College of Medicine, Seton Healthcare Family, Texas Department of State Health Services, Duke University, City University of New York, School of Public Health

A systems approach emphasizes the linkage between individual behavior change strategies and social and physical environmental changes, which act synergistically to facilitate (or inhibit) healthy eating and active living. The hypothesis of this study is that among low-income, ethnically diverse overweight and obese children, aged 2-12 years, a systems approach to child obesity will reduce body mass index (BMI) compared to primary prevention alone.

The goal of this project is to develop, implement and evaluate an integrated, systems-oriented obesity model for underserved, ethnically diverse children aged 2-12 years. The first step will include conducting an assets-based community assessment in low-income neighborhood catchment areas in Austin and Houston, TX with input and data-sharing from existing partnerships. Results from this assessment will inform and facilitate the implementation of both primary and secondary prevention efforts across multiple sectors (healthcare, school, and childcare). The demonstration project will include secondary prevention programs embedded within community primary prevention efforts. For primary prevention, a quasi-experimental approach will be used, where existing obesity prevention efforts are reinforced and optimized in healthcare clinics, Head Start Centers and schools in the catchment areas (NOTE: the primary prevention intervention study is further described in ClinicalTrials.gov at Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration project Primary Prevention Intervention {TXCORDPRIM) under a different protocol & record). Secondary prevention includes integration of the investigative team's evidence-based portfolio of family and community interventions, specifically the MEND/CATCH programs. For secondary prevention, a randomized controlled trial design will be used in which individual overweight/obese children are randomized to a 12-month community-centered, family-based obesity program or to primary prevention alone. The hypothesis of this study is that among low-income, ethnically diverse overweight and obese children, aged 2-12 years, a systems approach to child obesity will reduce body mass index (BMI, expressed as %95th percentile) compared to primary prevention alone. The specific aims of the grant are as follows (see below). Aim 1: To implement and evaluate the efficacy of a systems approach to child obesity on reducing BMI (expressed as %95th percentile) by embedding a 12-month family-based secondary prevention program within a community primary prevention program. The secondary prevention weight management program will target overweight/obese children and their families in the primary prevention catchment areas in Austin and Houston. Overweight/obese children (total n=576), aged 2-12 years, will be randomly assigned to either the 12-month secondary prevention program (experimental) or the community primary prevention program alone (control), in equal age subgroups (2-5, 6-8, and 9-12 years). Analyses will be conducted by age group, and outcomes will include BMI as expressed as %95th percentile), obesity-related behaviors, quality of life, and program use indicators. Aim 2: To quantify the incremental cost-effectiveness of the 12-month family-based secondary prevention program relative to primary prevention alone for child obesity. Activity Based Costing methods will be used to quantify the incremental cost of delivering the secondary prevention program relative to optimized healthcare. These costs will then be combined with the effectiveness data to quantify the incremental cost-effectiveness of the community-based intervention. All project activities will be coordinated with input from Demonstration Project Research Network Committee (CDC and the Evaluation Center).

TX CORD Intervention. The intervention entailed: (1) BMI screening, (2) Next Steps brief counseling materials for the healthcare provider, (3) a 3-month intensive Mind Exercise Nutrition Do It! and Coordinated Approach To Child Health (MEND/CATCH) phase, which included the Mind Exercise Nutrition Do it! ( MEND) programs for preschool (ages 2-5) and school-aged (ages 6-12) children coupled with adapted CATCH activities, and (5) a 9-month transition MEND/CATCH Transition phase, which offered monthly reinforcement sessions for parents and children, and twice weekly Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) sports for children. Community Health Workers (CHWs) serve as program liaisons and assist in delivering all intervention group sessions as well as tracking families. Electronic Health Record (EHR) changes supported the screening and Next Steps delivery.

Next Steps brief clinical intervention. The comparison program was a 12-month clinic-based program conducted at twelve partner healthcare clinics and entailed (1) EHR changes to support childhood obesity clinical visits; (2) BMI screening, (3) Next Steps brief counseling materials for the healthcare provider, and (4) Next Steps self-paced booklet for parents and children to work on nutrition and physical activity targets in a self-directed manner. Families were encouraged to seek repeated clinical visits to address child obesity.

This intervention included identification of children who were overweight or obese, and Next Steps brief counseling materials for the healthcare provider (prior to enrollment in the intervention).

MEND 2-5 and MEND/CATCH 6-12 programs are multi-component interventions including behavioral, nutrition, and physical activity sessions. In the intensive (first 3 months) phase, MEND 2-5 entailed nine weekly sessions and MEND 6-12 entailed 18 twice weekly sessions.

The transition phase (next 9 months of the 12-month program) included monthly 90-minute sessions for parents and children included MEND reviews, cooking classes, Being Well book, CATCH activities and MEND World activities. Children were enrolled in YMCA sports teams or programs offered twice weekly to encourage physical activity. Weekly text messages were sent to parents to reinforce behavioral objectives of the intervention.

Next Steps booklet for parents and children to work on nutrition and physical activity targets in a self-directed manner. Families were encouraged to seek repeated clinical visits to address child obesity as a follow up to the self-paced booklet.

Inclusion Criteria: 2-12 years of age and ≥ 85th percentile for BMI Exclusion Criteria: complications of obesity that would interfere with participation (e.g., severe respiratory insufficiency or orthopedic problems); underlying obesity-related conditions, such as systemic steroid use or endocrine abnormalities; severe psychological problems; and participation in an obesity treatment program within the past year.

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Barlow SE, Durand C, Salahuddin M, Pont SJ, Butte NF, Hoelscher DM. Who benefits from the intervention? Correlates of successful BMI reduction in the Texas Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project (TX-CORD). Pediatr Obes. 2020 May;15(5):e12609. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12609. Epub 2020 Jan 15.

Butte NF, Hoelscher DM, Barlow SE, Pont S, Durand C, Vandewater EA, Liu Y, Adolph AL, Perez A, Wilson TA, Gonzalez A, Puyau MR, Sharma SV, Byrd-Williams C, Oluyomi A, Huang T, Finkelstein EA, Sacher PM, Kelder SH. Efficacy of a Community- Versus Primary Care-Centered Program for Childhood Obesity: TX CORD RCT. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2017 Sep;25(9):1584-1593. doi: 10.1002/oby.21929. Epub 2017 Jul 13.