Table 1 A comparative summary of the PEACH™QLD and Go4Fun® programs
Program | PEACH™QLD | Go4Fun® |
|---|---|---|
Evidence base | ||
Developer in Australia | Flinders University | Better Health Company |
Funder | QLD Department of Health | NSW Ministry of Health |
Commencement in Australia | 2013 | 2011 (phased scale-up from 2009) |
Eligibility criteria | 5–11-year-old (primary school aged) children above the healthy weight range for age (weight category removed in 2016); parent/carer available to attend each session | 7–13-year-old (primary school aged) children above the healthy weight range for age; parent/carer available to attend each session |
Cost to participant | Free | Free |
Venues | Community/school and health services | Community-based settings |
Format and content | 1.5 h face-to-face—healthy lifestyle changes through the development of parenting skills (parents only) and physical activity (child only); online option (2016) | 2 h face-to-face—1-h nutrition (parent/carer and child) + 1 h game-based physical activity (child)/discussion on facilitated behaviour change (parent/carer) Online option (in development) |
Frequency and timing | 1.5 h/week (15 h total) After school hours, during school term | 2 h/week (since 2014—previously 4 h/week) (20 h total) After school hours, during school term |
Duration | 6-month program of 9 weekly meetings with 10th meeting at 6 months post commencement; individualised family support by phone and text message between sessions 9 and 10 | 10-week program of 10 weekly meetings (since 2014) (prior: twice weekly meetings) |
Follow-up | Family handbook; website; Facebook page | Access to Active 8 Website; sent a quarterly newsletter for 12 months following completion |
Advertising and recruitment | QUT—website; Facebook; media; partnerships (NGOs, local government, health and non-health services); health professionals; local media; community groups Self-referral—via website or toll-free number | NSW health—website, Facebook Health services sites—local media, school newsletters, partnerships (NGOs, school nurses, health services, youth clubs, GPs) Self-referral—via toll-free number |
State-wide co-ordination | QUT—project manager | NSW Office of Preventive Health—State program manager |
State-wide monitoring | Flinders University | NSW Office of Preventive Health |
State-wide training and support | QUT and Flinders University 2-day facilitator training Ongoing access to program and evaluation support Contact made at the commencement and completion of each program | Better Health Company and NSW Office of Preventive Health 2-day face-to-face training for program managers and leaders Annual professional development day for program managers Professional development via webinars for leaders Regular support teleconferences |
Local co-ordination | Various (QUT, health services, tertiary institutions) | Health services through health promotion services |
Local delivery | Trained facilitators | Trained leaders |
State-wide evaluation | Flinders University | NSW Office of Preventive Health research in partnership with University of Sydney [10, 11] and Better Health Company |
Program effectiveness | ⇑ Fruit intakes ⇑ Vegetable intakes ⇑ Physical activity ⇓ Screen time ⇓ BMI Z-score | ⇑ Fruit intakes ⇑ Vegetable intakes Decreases in sugar sweetened beverages ⇑ Physical activity ⇓ Screen time ⇓ BMI Z-score |
Program reach | 1122 children + 380 (online) (July 2013–June 2016) 501 children/annum | 7821 children (July 2011–June 2016) 1564 children/annum |
State prevalence: overweight and Obesity (2–17 years) [2] | 24.6 | 24.8 |
State prevalence: overweight (2–17 years) [2] | 17.9 | 16.9 |
State prevalence: obesity (2–17 years) [2] | 7.5 | 8.7 |