Kids FIRST: a Family-based Intervention to Reduce Snacking and Screen Time in children

Kids FIRST: Development and feasibility of a Family-based Intervention to Reduce Snacking and Screen Time in children

A healthy lifestyle, beginning in childhood is important for keeping the heart healthy. Eating snacks and inactivity by spending a long time sitting in front of screens are two types of behaviour that can increase the risk of poor health in children. Dr Emma Haycraft and colleagues from Loughborough University want to understand more about why snacking (particularly food high in sugar and fat) and sedentary lifestyles in children occur together. With participating children aged five to six years and eleven to twelve years, the researchers will use their school environment to survey screen time and snack consumption, before developing a pilot programme to try and reduce family screen viewing time and snacking in families. 160 children in each age group will be invited to participate. Some of the children will be invited to participate in focus groups to seek their views on watching screens and snacking, including any ideas they may have for changing their approach to these activities. Similar surveys will be conducted with their parents too. Eliciting the habits in the home will help the researchers define ways to help parents and children tackle a sedentary lifestyle. It is hoped that the initiatives could be rolled out to a larger number of families to make a real impact on the burden that unhealthy lifestyle choices is placing on the UK population.