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Technology-enabled behaviour change to reduce childhood obesity

Year:
2017
Duration:
18 months
Approved budget:
$46,038.40
Researchers:
Professor Robyn Whittaker
Health issue:
Obesity
Proposal type:
US Collaboration Enabling Grant
Lay summary
This proposal is to establish a US-NZ research collaborative to design, develop and evaluate a family-based technology-supported childhood obesity prevention programme, particularly for indigenous and priority population groups in NZ, US, and countries/territories in the Pacific region of interest to the US and NZ. This builds on an existing US-NZ research collaboration in mCessation (mobile phone based smoking cessation) in the Pacific region, and other existing academic relationships, to develop a new collaborative focused on the prevention of childhood obesity using mHealth (mobile health) and related technologies. We will build on our experience working with Maori, Pacific (in NZ and in the Pacific region), minority and native Hawaiian Americans, to develop an intervention that is evidence-based and culturally appropriate for these groups - recognising similarities in holistic and family-oriented approaches to health and wellness, while adapting for different cultural constructs, language and imagery.