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Preventing Childhood Obesity Through Youth Empowerment: A Cluster RCT of the H2GO! Program

Award Number: R01DK120713
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES & DIGESTIVE & KIDNEY DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/01/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2025

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Preventing Childhood Obesity Through Youth Empowerment: A Cluster RCT of the H2GO! Program - Project Summary/Abstract Over one-third of children in the U.S. are overweight or obese and at risk for short-term and long-term health consequences, including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Substantial evidence exists on reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption as a critical dietary target for childhood obesity prevention. Efficacious behavioral interventions targeting SSBs are lacking, particularly among low-income and ethnic minority early and pre-adolescent youth who have higher SSB intake and obesity risk. Youth empowerment interventions hold potential for catalyzing behavior change in childhood obesity intervention contexts and may be particularly engaging for low-income and ethnic minority youth. However, few studies of youth empowerment health interventions have utilized rigorous study designs or examined empowerment as a mediator/mechanism of change. To this gap, we worked collaboratively with Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCs), a national system of afterschool care that reaches 4 million youth annually, to develop and pilot-test a community-based youth empowerment intervention on reducing SSB intake and preventing childhood obesity. Grounded in Empowerment Theory, the intervention targets SSB consumption through health sessions that empower youth through developing their confidence and skills; narrative sessions that empower youth through cultivating critical thinking, and youth-led activities that empower youth through opportunities to produce change within their families. The resulting H2GO! intervention is designed to be delivered within BGCs by BGC staff. Building on our successful pilot study of H2GO!, we are now positioned to test the efficacy of the H2GO! intervention in collaboration with the BGC network in MA, which collectively serves over 160,000 children each year. Using a cluster-randomized design, a total of 10 BGC sites will be randomly assigned to the H2GO! intervention or a wait-list, usual care condition. A total of 450 parent-child pairs (N=45 parent-child pairs per site) will be enrolled. Data will be collected at baseline, 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months and include child anthropometrics, SSB and water intake, and youth empowerment. Specific aims of the proposal include: 1) test the efficacy of the H2GO! intervention on child BMI z scores using a cluster randomized controlled trial; 2) test the efficacy of the H2GO! intervention on child SSB and water intake; 3) examine youth empowerment as a mediator of intervention effects. Findings from this proposal will provide evidence of youth empowerment as an approach to reduce SSB intake and obesity risk and contribute to a long-term goal of producing an intervention model for childhood obesity prevention that is well-positioned for dissemination through youth-based settings.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $547,876 )
2024	2024	TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY	85 EAST NEWTON ST # M-921	BOSTON	MA	02118	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	5	1/22/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$513,635
2024	2024	TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY	85 EAST NEWTON ST # M-921	BOSTON	MA	02118	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	001	5	5/16/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$34,241
														Subtotal = $547,876

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $589,291 )
2023	2023	TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY	85 E NEWTON ST M-921	BOSTON	MA	02118	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	4	1/20/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$589,291
														Subtotal = $589,291

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $660,270 )
2022	2022	TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY	85 E NEWTON ST M-921	BOSTON	MA	02118	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	001	3	3/29/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$66,027
2022	2022	TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY	85 E NEWTON ST M-921	BOSTON	MA	02118	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	3	1/19/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$594,243
														Subtotal = $660,270

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $697,992 )
2021	2021	TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY	85 E NEWTON ST M-921	BOSTON	MA	02118	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	001	2	2/8/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$697,992
2021	2020	TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY	85 E NEWTON ST M-921	BOSTON	MA	02118	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	1	12/5/2020	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $697,992

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $736,884 )
2020	2020	TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY	85 E NEWTON ST M-921	BOSTON	MA	02118	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	1	1/21/2020	NEW	$736,884
														Subtotal = $736,884

Grand Total All Awards = $3,232,313

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Preventing Childhood Obesity Through Youth Empowerment: A Cluster RCT of the H2GO! Program

Award Number: R01DK120713

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES & DIGESTIVE & KIDNEY DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/01/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2025

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