A Multifaceted Intervention to Reduce Obesity Among Preschool Children in Suzhou City: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Epidemiology and Health statistics, Suzhou Medical School, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
- 2Department of Child and Adolescent Health Promotion, Suzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Suzhou Health Supervision Institute), 16 Guangqian Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215131, China, 86 512-62701715.
- 3Suzhou Institute of Advanced Study in Public Health, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
- 4School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Abstract
Background
The rising prevalence of obesity among preschool children has become a critical public health concern in Suzhou, China. Nevertheless, evidence-based, personalized, and multicomponent intervention strategies tailored to children with overweight or obesity remain inadequately established in current practice.Objective
This study aims to investigate the prevalence and pathogenic factors of obesity among preschool children in Suzhou and to develop a comprehensive and multifaceted integrated intervention program. Through systematic assessment of its short-term effectiveness and long-term sustainability in improving obesity-related indicators and preventing overweight, it provides a scientific basis for obesity prevention and control.Methods
This cluster randomized controlled trial is being conducted among children aged 3 to 6 years in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Children from 3 kindergartens were randomly assigned to the intervention group and children from 3 other kindergartens were assigned to the control group. The 1-year intervention includes health education, dietary guidance, and increased physical activity, adopting a multilevel approach that engages children, families, schools, communities, and society. Children participate in health education and physical activity courses in the kindergarten, while parents receive educational materials online. Parental education and regular assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices are key components of the family-based intervention. Body measurements will be taken at baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and thereafter, alongside questionnaires for both parents and children to evaluate their own health behaviors. The primary outcome will be the difference in BMI, BMI z scores, and body fat percentage between the 2 groups of children at the end of the intervention.Results
The study received ethical approval in March 2025. Baseline assessments were conducted from March to June 2025, followed by the initiation of the intervention, which will be completed by June 2026. Participants will then enter a noninterventional long-term follow-up until June 2032, with annual surveys conducted during this period.Conclusions
This program will test the effectiveness of comprehensive multifaceted interventions on children. The results of this study will provide scientific evidence for formulating effective intervention strategies for childhood overweight and obesity and are also expected to offer crucial practical references for the formulation and improvement of treatment guidelines for childhood obesity in China.
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BibTeX
@article{yang2026multifaceted,
title = {{A Multifaceted Intervention to Reduce Obesity Among Preschool Children in Suzhou City: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.}},
author = {Pan Yang and Ying Wang and Xiao Jiang and Ziyao Ding and Liye Zhang and Xinyu Bao and Di Han and Hui Shen and Jia Hu and Jieyun Yin},
journal = {JMIR research protocols},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2196/94697},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42906187},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A Multifaceted Intervention to Reduce Obesity Among Preschool Children in Suzhou City: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.
AU - Pan Yang
AU - Ying Wang
AU - Xiao Jiang
AU - Ziyao Ding
AU - Liye Zhang
AU - Xinyu Bao
AU - Di Han
AU - Hui Shen
AU - Jia Hu
AU - Jieyun Yin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - JMIR research protocols
DO - 10.2196/94697
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42906187
AB - Background The rising prevalence of obesity among preschool children has become a critical public health concern in Suzhou, China. Nevertheless, evidence-based, personalized, and multicomponent intervention strategies tailored to children with overweight or obesity remain inadequately established in current practice.Objective This study aims to investigate the prevalence and pathogenic factors of obesity among preschool children in Suzhou and to develop a comprehensive and multifaceted integrated intervention program. Through systematic assessment of its short-term effectiveness and long-term sustainability in improving obesity-related indicators and preventing overweight, it provides a scientific basis for obesity prevention and control.Methods This cluster randomized controlled trial is being conducted among children aged 3 to 6 years in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Children from 3 kindergartens were randomly assigned to the intervention group and children from 3 other kindergartens were assigned to the control group. The 1-year intervention includes health education, dietary guidance, and increased physical activity, adopting a multilevel approach that engages children, families, schools, communities, and society. Children participate in health education and physical activity courses in the kindergarten, while parents receive educational materials online. Parental education and regular assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices are key components of the family-based intervention. Body measurements will be taken at baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and thereafter, alongside questionnaires for both parents and children to evaluate their own health behaviors. The primary outcome will be the difference in BMI, BMI z scores, and body fat percentage between the 2 groups of children at the end of the intervention.Results The study received ethical approval in March 2025. Baseline assessments were conducted from March to June 2025, followed by the initiation of the intervention, which will be completed by June 2026. Participants will then enter a noninterventional long-term follow-up until June 2032, with annual surveys conducted during this period.Conclusions This program will test the effectiveness of comprehensive multifaceted interventions on children. The results of this study will provide scientific evidence for formulating effective intervention strategies for childhood overweight and obesity and are also expected to offer crucial practical references for the formulation and improvement of treatment guidelines for childhood obesity in China.
SN - 1929-0748
ER -