Sustainability of EMPOWER program intervention effects: 12 month follow-up

Background. Enabling Mothers to Prevent pediatric Obesity through Web-based Education and Reciprocal determinism (EMPOWER) is an on-line intervention for mothers based on social cognitive theory for prevention of childhood obesity developed in 2013. The purpose of this study was to collect long-term, follow-up data from a sample of mothers (n = 50) that participated in the EMPOWER intervention and test the sustainability of program intervention effects. Methods. The EMPOWER trial was a two-arm, parallel group, randomized, participant-blinded trial that targeted mothers with children between 4 and 6 years of age. The intervention based on social cognitive theory was compared to a control group, which received an equivalent knowledge-based intervention. During phase one of the trial, data were collected across three measurement periods (pretest, posttest, and post-intervention follow-up). For phase two, an additional measurement was taken to evaluate the sustainability of the intervention effects detected during phase one. Participants were contacted 12 months from the last point of measurement and were requested to complete the previously validated measurement tool. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results. The primary dependent variables for comparison between the groups were child physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, sugar-free beverage consumption, and screen time. Additional variables tested included maternal-mediated, social cognitive constructs of environment, emotional coping, expectations, self-control, and self-efficacy. Conclusions. Web-based, childhood obesity interventions are an efficient method for accessing the home and family environment. Social cognitive theory offers a pragmatic framework for targeting family and home-based determinants of childhood obesity.