Changing health behaviors: A case study exploring families' participation in a community-based family-centered healthy lifestyle intervention for overweight/obese children

Background. The prevalence of children who are overweight or obese has doubled and in some age groups tripled. Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to have risk factors for several chronic diseases. Family-centered interventions have often been suggested as the most effective way to change the health behaviors of children. Attendance to family-centered interventions has been limited and there have been minimal studies evaluating reasons for drop out in a community-based family-centered healthy lifestyle intervention. Qualitative methods, specifically a case study approach, may allow for a better understanding of barriers families had to participation. Purpose: The purpose of this case study was to explore the factors related to families' level of participation in a community-based family-centered healthy lifestyle intervention that included a physical activity, nutrition education, and a health behavior change component.;Methods. The study used purposeful sampling to complete 9 interviews with parents and children who had participated in at least one session of a family-centered healthy lifestyle intervention. Immersion Crystallization was used to explore themes found in the data.;Results. Families appeared to have an awareness for need to change and a knowledge about healthy lifestyles before they entered the program. The major factors impacting continued participation were barriers to transportation and various additional barriers (e.g., medical problems, school sports, small infant, etc.). Active external support seemed to allow families to finish the program. Families' evaluation of the program was satisfactory and active external health behavior support allowed families who completed the program to make more changes together as a family.;Discussion. This study may help future community-based family-centered healthy lifestyle interventions to design their programs to avoid barriers such as transportation, to encourage families to make changes together as a family and actively support their family members to make healthy decisions.