Participants sought for studies Do you want support to build healthy habits for your family?
Do you live in Södertälje and have a child aged 6–12 with overweight or obesity? We are looking for participants for a study on family support for healthy habits and to prevent future disease.
About the study
In today's society, we are becoming increasingly sedentary, while unhealthy food and drink is available around the clock, which has contributed to children becoming overweight or obese.
In the municipality of Södertälje we are conducting a study where we want to evaluate a new model for family support in which schools and healthcare providers work together to support parents and children. The goal is to empower families to create good habits and prevent future ill health.
Who can participate?
To participate in the study, you need to:
- Live in Södertälje municipality
- Have a child aged 6–12 with overweight or obesity
- Be able to understand and speak basic Swedish
What does it mean to participate?
If you join, you will be randomized to one of two groups:
- Mer och Mindre (More and Less) is a parental support program with ten group sessions over ten weeks. You will discuss everyday challenges like food, exercise, screen time and sleep, and get support with finding solutions that work for your family. The sessions are followed by six follow-up telephone calls every six weeks for one year in total.
- Standard treatment comprises consultations with healthcare personnel where you get an individual plan for your child and the family's habits.
Both options focus on health and well-being, not on body weight or appearance.
Place: The More and Less program is delivered by Hälsan Östertälje Primärvårdsrehabilitering in Södertälje and will be given in person or in a digital format. Standard care is provided from your ordinary healthcare provider.
Which measures are included?
- Questionnaires on three occasions (about your family's habits and the child's eating and activity).
- Your child's height, weight and waist circumference will be measured on three occasions by the school nurse.
Compensation
When the study is completed, you will receive a gift card worth 950 SEK for your time to answer questionnaires.
Registration
Liselotte Schäfer Elinder
Adjunct ProfessorFor parents
"We were a little worried before, that we would get there, that you would count calories and that there would be talk about obesity ... it was rather a parenting course that all parents should take ... We were treated positively and it was much more about our relationship, how to approach conflicts, how to look at food in a way that we could absorb."
(Quote from a parent who participated in the More and Less program.)
You are an important role model
Children learn from their parents. By showing healthy choices yourself, you give your child a strong foundation for the future. Former participants in A Healthy School Start and More and Less have experienced that the programs have given them increased knowledge about healthy habits and have strengthened them in their role as a parent. You are encouraged to think about your own habits around food, physical activity, sleep and stress.
Related reading on the Karolinska Institute website
- Co-Fam project: About the research project.
- Mer och Mindre: (More and Less) Parental support for overweight and obesity in early life (in Swedish).
- A Healthy School Start: Family support programme for pupils in in pre-school class or grade 1.
Processing of personal data
Your personal data is processed for the purposes of this study in accordance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). The legal entity responsible for processing of your personal data is Karolinska Institutet. The Data Protection Officer can be reached at dataskyddsombud@ki.se. The data will be analyzed on a group level, handled confidentially and it will be stored in a secure database at Karolinska Institutet. You can terminate your participation in the study at any time.