A new study by Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigates whether integrating childhood weight management programmes into regular paediatric visits can promote sustained healthy lifestyle changes in children aged five to 17 across Louisiana and Tennessee.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center have begun a new study aimed at bringing childhood weight management into the place families already know best: the child’s regular doctor’s surgery. The COACH trial is recruiting 900 children aged five to 17 with obesity in Louisiana and Tennessee, with participants drawn from urban, suburban and rural primary care practices.
The study is designed to test whether support delivered through everyday paediatric care can help families make lasting lifestyle changes. Children and parents enrolled in the trial will receive guidance on healthier eating, more physical activity, less screen time, better sleep and more involved parenting, all from their primary care team. That team will include the child’s doctor, clinical nutritionists and community resource counsellors, who will help connect families with local support.
Researchers will track weight change over 12 months as the main measure of success. They will also look at changes in nutrition, activity, sleep, media use and quality of life, while assessing how practical and accessible the approach is for both families and healthcare workers. Families interested in taking part can find more information through the trial’s recruitment site.
The new project builds on earlier Pennington Biomedical work suggesting that family-centred interventions can make a difference. In a 2019 study, researchers reported that an in-home coaching programme improved health outcomes for children and parents, while children whose families received only written material gained significant weight. Pennington Biomedical has also tested technology-based approaches, including a video-game-based fitness programme that paired active gaming with coaching and a step tracker, and found benefits for weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and physical activity. Together, those studies help explain why researchers are now looking at whether the same kind of support can be delivered effectively in primary care, where many families already receive routine treatment.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
