Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40269960›Full record

ArticleArchives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique2025

A cluster randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of a Parents Plus group-based parenting program to promote healthy lifestyles among children and their families.

Claire O'Dwyer, Brid Áine Davis, Martin O'Connor, Adele Keating, John Sharry, Kathy Looney, Fionna McDarby, Alan Doran, Eddie Murphy, Alan Carr

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Claire O'DwyerSchool of Psychology, University College Dublin, Newman Building, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
Brid Áine DavisSchool of Psychology, University College Dublin, Newman Building, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
Martin O'ConnorHealth Service Executive, Laois / Offaly, Ireland.
Adele KeatingParents Plus, Dublin, Ireland.
John SharryParents Plus, Dublin, Ireland.
Kathy LooneySchool of Psychology, University College Dublin, Newman Building, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
Fionna McDarbySchool of Psychology, University College Dublin, Newman Building, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
Alan DoranHealth Service Executive, Meath, Ireland.
Eddie MurphyHealth Service Executive, Laois / Offaly, Ireland.
Alan CarrSchool of Psychology, University College Dublin, Newman Building, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland. alan.carr@ucd.ie.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChildhood obesity is a global public health concern. In Ireland, the age standardized prevalence rates for obesity in children and adolescents are about 1% higher than the average for countries in the WHO European Region. The Parents Plus Healthy Families program (PP-HF), an 8-week, group-based, multicomponent parent training intervention, was designed to prevent childhood obesity by helping parents promote healthy habits within their families.

methodsA multisite cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the PP-HF program across 16 community-based and clinical settings. Sixty-eight parents were assigned to the PP-HF group and 70 were assigned to the treatment as usual (TAU) control group. Parents completed measures assessing healthy habits, child lifestyles behaviors, parental lifestyle-specific self-efficacy, parental satisfaction, family dysfunction, and child behavior problems at baseline and post-intervention. Parents in the PP-HF group completed measures at 6-weeks follow-up.

resultsMulti-level modelling analyses demonstrated that post-intervention, compared to the control group, parents in the PP-HF condition reported significant improvements on measures of healthy habits, parental satisfaction, family-functioning, and child behavior problems. Gains were maintained at 6-weeks follow-up. No change was observed on measures of child lifestyle behaviors, or parental lifestyle specific self-efficacy compared to the control group.

conclusionThe PP-HF program may be effective in improving healthy habits, parental satisfaction, family functioning, and child behavior problems among families with children aged 2-12 across both clinical and community settings.

trial registrationThis trial was retrospectively registered on Open Science Framework on 11.

Identifiers

PMID40269960
PMCPMC12016286

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.