Helping children manage their weight through supportive conversations in clinics
Official title: Reducing Childhood Obesity through EHR-supported Motivational Interviewing
Funded at Kaiser Foundation Research Institute · NIH-11054603 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how friendly conversations about health can help kids and their families make better choices to tackle childhood obesity, and it will be done in 36 pediatric clinics to see if this approach works better than regular care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Kaiser Foundation Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oakland, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 19, 2021 |
| Project end | February 28, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $619,272 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK127038-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11054603 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years, particularly those who are overweight or obese.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are already at a healthy weight or those outside the age range of 0-11 years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to tackle the rising rates of childhood obesity by implementing a method called Motivational Interviewing (MI) in pediatric clinics. By engaging children and their families in meaningful conversations about health and weight, the study seeks to motivate behavior change in a supportive environment. The research will be conducted in 36 pediatric clinics, comparing the effectiveness of the MI approach against standard care. The goal is to find a sustainable and effective way to help children achieve healthier weights without requiring extensive resources.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to effective strategies for reducing childhood obesity, improving health outcomes for children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies using Motivational Interviewing have shown success in reducing BMI in children, particularly among minority and low-income populations.
Where this research is happening
-
Kaiser Foundation Research Institute
Oakland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koebnick, Corinna — Kaiser Foundation Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Koebnick, Corinna
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how where you live and personal factors during pregnancy affect a child’s risk for obesity and metabolic problems
This project looks at how neighborhood conditions and individual factors during pregnancy may influence a child’s risk of obesity and metabolic health as they grow.
-
A hybrid mobile-family program to prevent obesity in preschoolers
A neighborhood-friendly program uses in-person meetings plus mobile phone support to help Latino families with 2- to 5-year-olds adopt healthier eating, less screen time, and more activity to prevent obesity.
-
Adapting a proven kids’ lifestyle program to boost reach and impact
A study from Stanford aims to spread and improve a well-proven healthy-lifestyle program for children with obesity so more families can use it effectively.
-
Strengthening obesity risk screening and referrals in early childhood
A 3-year study in New York aims to make it easier to find and connect families with social supports to prevent obesity from infancy into later childhood.
-
Childhood obesity and cardiometabolic health in Latino youth from low-income families
This project follows Mexican American kids from birth through mid-adolescence to understand how weight and heart health develop over time.
-
Prenatal exercise modes and how they affect child obesity risk
This study tests which exercise type during pregnancy best protects children from obesity and metabolic problems later in life for women who are overweight or obese.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.