Using technology to help families build healthier habits for children's heart health in pediatric clinics
Official title: Testing Technology-Based Implementation Strategies for a Family-Based Pediatric Health Behavior Intervention in Community-Based Primary Care: A Cluster Randomized Factorial Trial
Funded at Arizona State University-Tempe Campus · NIH-11193791 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses digital tools and clinic-based supports to help families of children with elevated BMI improve eating, activity, and emotional health in pediatric primary care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Arizona State University-Tempe Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Scottsdale, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,903,051 |
| NIH project number | 5R33HL166976-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193791 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are families with children roughly 5.5 to 13 years old who have an elevated BMI (at or above the 85th percentile) and receive care at participating pediatric primary care clinics.
✕Less likely to help
Children without elevated BMI, adults, or families who do not receive care at participating clinics are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific program.
What this research studies
From a parent's viewpoint, the team works with pediatric clinics to offer the Family Check-Up 4 Health program to families of children about 5.5 to 13 years old with higher-than-average BMI. Clinics are testing different technology-based ways to deliver the program (for example, digital tools, reminders, or staff supports) across clinic sites using a cluster randomized factorial design. An earlier randomized trial with 240 mostly Mexican American, low-income families showed improvements in child and family health behaviors, social-emotional health, and modest changes in child BMI. This effort focuses on making it easier for community pediatric clinics to adopt the program so more families can access the help.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more families could get accessible, clinic-based and tech-supported help to improve children's diet, activity, emotional well-being, and reduce long-term cardiovascular risk.
How similar studies have gone: Yes — a prior randomized trial of Family Check-Up 4 Health with 240 primarily Mexican American, low-income families produced positive changes in family and child behaviors and in child BMI.
Where this research is happening
-
Arizona State University-Tempe Campus
Scottsdale, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Berkel, Cady — Arizona State University-Tempe Campus
- Study coordinator: Berkel, Cady
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Family-based health behavior support in kids in primary care (tech-enabled implementation)
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Using technology to improve family health behaviors in children
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Primary Care Bridge: Building Research in Diverse Geographic Settings
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WREN: Expanding Research Capacity in Rural Primary Care Clinics
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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.