An Empowering Parent Training Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Preschool Aged Children With Autism

Official title

An Empowering Parent Training Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Preschool Aged Children With Autism: A Randomized Control Trial

Overview

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if WE PLAY for Parents can improve caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and skills promoting physical activity with their young child with autism. The main questions it aims to answer are: (1) Do participants who complete WE PLAY for Parents improve their knowledge, behavior intentions, perceived behavior control, self-efficacy, and parenting practices related to physical activity promotion with their child (Primary Hypotheses); and (2) Do participants view WE PLAY for Parents as acceptable, understandable, and feasible \[secondary hypothesis)? Researchers will compare the WE PLAY for Parents group \[experimental arm\] to a Waitlist Control group to see if there are differences in the variables listed in the primary hypothesis. Participants will: (1) Complete a set of questionnaires at three timepoints: pre-training, post-training, and 3-month follow-up that each take between 10-15 minutes; (2) be randomly assigned to take the training over the next two weeks or be offered the training after 3 months. The online training takes about 90 minutes. It includes watching informational videos, viewing video clips of adults helping children be active, reading handouts on behavior management tips and social stories, participating in an anonymous discussion board with other parents, and completing a self-assessment.

Detailed description

After completing a study interest form to determine eligibility and providing informed consent, participants will be randomized to the WE PLAY for Parents or a Waitlist Control group. At week 0, all participants will complete the pre-test survey and WE PLAY for Parents group participants will receive access to the WE PLAY for Parents intervention. At week 2, participants in both groups will complete a post-training survey. At week 14, participants in both groups will complete a three-month follow-up survey. At week 14, after completing the third survey, participants in the Waitlist Control group will receive access to WE PLAY for Parents.

Interventions

• Behavioral Wellness Enhancing Physical Activity for Young Children: Parent Version (WE PLAY for Parents)
  WE PLAY for Parents is an online intervention that includes an asynchronous online training with written material about physical activity promotion. Users view video clips of adults promoting active play with young children, review handouts with behavior management tips and social stories, participate in an anonymized discussion board with other parent participants, and complete a self-assessment. Intervention completion is takes between 1.5 to 2 hours.

Primary outcome measures

• Change from Pre-Training in Parental Confidence in Promoting Physical Activity for their Children on the Preschool Parent Confidence Questionnaire (PPCQ) at Week 2 [Time frame: Pre-training (Week 0), Post-training (Week 2)]
• Change from Pre-Training in Parental Physical Activity Knowledge at Week 2 [Time frame: Pre-training (Week 0), Post-training (Week 2)]
• Change from Pre-Training in Parental Behavioral Intention and Perceived Behavioral Control on the Adapted Early Childhood Educator Movement Behavioral Intention and Perceived Control Questionnaire (ECE-MBIPC) at Week 2 [Time frame: Pre-training (Week 0), Post-training (Week 2)]
• Change from Pre-Training in Parental Physical Activity Promotion Practices on the Preschooler Physical Activity Parenting Practices (PPAPP) at Week 14 [Time frame: Pre-training (week 0), 3-month Follow-Up (week 14).]

Secondary outcome measures (1)

• Describe Acceptability, Understanding, and Feasibility of the WE PLAY for Parents Intervention with the Usage Rating Profile-Intervention Revised (URP-IR) at Post-Training [Time frame: Post-training (Week 2)]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Parents or caregivers (who are at least 18 years of age) of children with a diagnosis of autism.
• The autism diagnosis for the child can be from a school or medical setting.
• The parent or caregiver's child with autism must be between 2 years 11 months and 5 years, 11 months of age.
• Parent or caregivers must be able to read and write in English.

Exclusion criteria

• Parents or caregivers who do not have a child with autism.
• Adults who do not have children.
• Parents or caregivers who cannot read and write in English.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Prevention

Study locations

United States · 1 center

• Northeastern University — Boston

Publications

• Enders, C. K. (2010). Applied missing data analysis. Guilford Press.
• Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
• Agard B, Zeng N, McCloskey ML, Johnson SL, Bellows LL. Moving Together: Understanding Parent Perceptions Related to Physical Activity and Motor Skill Development in Preschool Children. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 31;18(17):9196. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18179196. PMID 34501785
• Barry A, Ku B, Swarup G, Christensen LA, Columna L. Psychological factors of parental physical activity support among parents of children with disabilities: a meta-analysis. Disabil Rehabil. 2025 May;47(10):2503-2511. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2399222. Epub 2024 Sep 11. PMID 39259233
• Briesch AM, Chafouleas SM, Neugebauer SR, Riley-Tillman TC. Assessing influences on intervention implementation: revision of the usage rating profile-intervention. J Sch Psychol. 2013 Feb;51(1):81-96. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2012.08.006. Epub 2012 Sep 20. PMID 23375174
• Bruijns, B. A., Johnson, A. M., Burke, S. M., & Tucker, P. (2023). Validation of a physical activity, sedentary behavior, and outdoor play behavioral intention and perceived behavioral control tool for early childhood educators. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(3), 559-567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01314-5
• Carson V, Lee EY, Hewitt L, Jennings C, Hunter S, Kuzik N, Stearns JA, Unrau SP, Poitras VJ, Gray C, Adamo KB, Janssen I, Okely AD, Spence JC, Timmons BW, Sampson M, Tremblay MS. Systematic review of the relationships between physical activity and health indicators in the early years (0-4 years). BMC Public Health. 2017 Nov 20;17(Suppl 5):854. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4860-0. PMID 29219090
• Coleman, M. B. (2010). Development and validation of the Preschool Parent Confidence Questionnaire (PPCQ): A parental self-efficacy instrument (Unpublished master's thesis). Northern Illinois University, IL.

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07421830 · IRB#25-12-22 · 26-C-01055

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗