Boosting toddler health through movement and nutrition – Let’s Grow+
IPAN researchers are developing the next phase of the Let's Grow program to support parents with their toddlers' active play, sedentary/screen time, nutrition and sleep behaviours.
Anyone who has raised a toddler knows it is a challenging time. Rapid developmental changes occur during this period, yet contact with the healthcare system often decreases after infancy.
It is also a period that has been neglected by intervention research. Yet we know that support is needed as only 28% of 2-3 year olds meet fruit and vegetable guidelines and only 20% of 1-2 year olds meet movement guidelines. Also, the top health concerns consistently reported by Australian parents are excessive screen time, obesity, insufficient physical activity, unhealthy diet and sleep problems.
The Let’s Grow+ project, led by Professor Kylie Hesketh and funded by an Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant, targets all these behaviours concurrently.
Let’s Grow+ builds on a prior NHMRC-funded trial of 1300 families, using an app which helps parents improve toddlers’ movement behaviours (active play, sedentary behaviour/screen time and sleep).
This next phase involves redesigning the app and adding nutrition content to cover off on all key health behaviours.
Prof Hesketh is trialling the app with 800 families across Australia to test its effectiveness.
“This app goes beyond what most apps provide by focusing on helping parents work through behaviour change strategies that would typically require health practitioner support,” Professor Hesketh said.
The Let’s Grow+ team has co-designed the new app with parents and practitioners.
“We’ve worked with practitioners and policy makers from the outset to ensure the intervention can operate within existing systems and provide a resource that would be valued by practitioners,” Professor Hesketh said.
“We are also working with our partners across Australia to test how we can roll the app out to all Australian families.”
Let’s Grow+ is designed to complement IPAN’s existing flagship program, INFANT, allowing consistent messaging and support for parents from birth right through to preschool entry.
An economic evaluation of the latest randomised controlled trial and pilot scale up will assess cost-effectiveness of the program.
“This app could be another piece in the puzzle to support families in improving their child’s nutrition and movement behaviours for better health and wellbeing,” Professor Hesketh said.
