Table 1 Overview of the intervention sessions

1

Individual session

90

9-10

• Information is given to parents concerning the intervention

• Create motivation

• Introduce the idea of parents as role models for healthy eating and physical activity

2

Group sessions

90-120

11

• Repeat information from the previous session

• Give presentation on obesity, nutrition and physical activity

• Discuss parents’ own eating and physical activity habits

- What could be changed? What are the factors that hinder change?

• Give homework

Between sessions

• Homework for parents

- Food registration

3

Individual session

45

12

• Discuss the group session

• Discuss parents’ own eating and physical activity habits (based on the food registration)

• Formulate goals together with parents concerning their healthy eating and physical activity

• Discuss children’s eating habits, food choices

• Formulate goals together with parents concerning their child’s healthy eating and physical activity

4

Individual session

30-45

18

• Motivate parents to continue to act as role models for their children concerning healthy eating and physical activity

• Follow-up on the goals formulated during the 3rd session

• Talk about how to get healthy eating and physical activity into everyday life (including day-care centres)

• Reflect together with parents on child’s weight development

• Formulate goals together with parents concerning their own and their child’s healthy eating and physical activity

5

Individual session

45

24

• Increase parental self-efficacy in succeeding with behaviour change

• Motivate parents to continue healthy eating and physical activity

• Follow-up on the goals formulated during the 4th session

• Reflect with parents on child’s weight development

• Discuss how parents can handle risk situations for unhealthy behaviours

• Give homework

Between sessions

• Homework for parents

- Food registration

• Printed form with questions to reflect upon before telephone session is sent to parents

1

Telephone conversation

15

30

• Discuss the printed form

• Go through the homework from the 5th session

• Follow up on parents’ progress on their own and their child’s goals

• Continue motivational work

• Encourage parents and highlight their successes

• Support parents in solving problems concerning setting limits on the unhealthy behaviours of their children

6

Individual session

45

36

• Follow up parents’ progress on achieving their goals

• Review all the goals of the intervention programme

• Reflect with parents on child’s weight development

• Continue motivational work

• Increase parental self-efficacy in being a good role model and in helping their children with healthy behaviours

• Discuss difficulties and hindering factors, and ways of addressing them

• Introduce and set maintenance plan together with parents

Between sessions

• Homework for parents

- Food registration

• Printed form with questions to reflect upon before telephone session is sent to parents

2

Telephone conversation

15

42

• Discuss the printed form

• Follow up on parents’ progress on achieving their goals

• Continue motivational work

• Focus on parent’s confidence and emphasise parental autonomy

• Follow up on the maintenance plan

7

Individual session

45

48

• Continue motivational work

• Focus on parents’ confidence and highlight parental autonomy

• Discuss the necessary conditions for maintaining the child’s healthy habits during childhood