The Healthy Youngsters, Healthy Dads Program: A healthy lifestyle program for fathers and their preschool-aged children.

INTERVENTION: The ‘Healthy Youngsters Healthy Dads’ intervention will include: ‐ 2 x ‘dads‐only’ information workshops (2 x 2 hours: face‐to‐face) ‐ 8 x ‘dads‐and‐youngsters’ education and practical sessions (1.5 hours/week: face‐to‐face) During each dads‐only workshop, fathers will learn evidenced‐based strategies to improve their own lifestyle behaviours and parenting practices to improve their children’s physical activity, dietary habits, social‐emotional well‐being and sports skills. Each dads‐and‐youngsters practical session will be broken up into 2 components: (i) A 20‐minute educational session based on weekly theme, conducted for fathers and children together (ii) A 55‐minute practical session where fathers and children participate together in rough and tumble play (e.g. sock wrestles), health‐related fitness (e.g. fitness circuits, shuttle carries) and fundamental movement skills (e.g. catching, kicking, throwing). There are eight weekly themes for the dads‐and‐youngsters sessions, including: 1. Rough and tumble play 2. Vegetables 3. Physical activity 4. Fruit 5. Screens 6. Water 7. Sport skills (i.e., fundamental movement skills) 8. Summary of program In addition to these sessions, participants will receive the following program resources: ‐ A t‐shirt and water bottle ‐ An activity book developed for this study with a range of activities for fathers and children to complete at home between sessions. The activities include goal setting, fundamental movement skill practice, physical activity tracking and home challenges that match each session theme (e.g. nutrition, screen time, physical activity) (approx. 30‐minute time commitment per week) Both components will be delivered at the University of Newcastle by local trained facilitators (qualified teachers and student teachers). All facilitators will attend a training course delivered by Professor Philip Morgan at the University of Newcastl CONDITION: Diet and Nutrition ‐ Obesity Physical inactivity;Overweight;Poor dietary behaviour;Obesity; ; Physical inactivity ; Overweight ; Poor dietary behaviour ; Obesity Public Health ‐ Health promotion/education PRIMARY OUTCOME: Average steps/day (children) ‐ measured with one week of pedometry using YAMAX SW200 pedometers (average steps/day used for analysis where at least 4 days are recorded, including at least 1 weekend day); ; [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline (primary endpoint) and 9 months post‐enrollment.] ; ; For every sequential block of 12 families that complete assessments, 5 will be randomly allocated at baseline assessments to complete this measure. The randomisation schedule for this study component will be completed by an independent statistician, packed into sealed opaque envelopes by a research assistant not involved in study assessments, and revealed to participants by a research assistant not involved in sequence generation or allocation concealment.[Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Physical activity (sub‐group of 50 randomly allocated dads) ‐ measured with one week of wrist‐worn accelerometry using wGT3X‐BT ActiGraph accelerometers (measure varying intensities of activities i.e. light, moderate, vigorous plus counts per minute) ; INCLUSION CRITERIA: Men can participate if they: ‐ Are a father, step father or male guardian of a child aged 3‐5 years ‐ Live with their child at least 50% of the week ‐ Are able to attend all assessments ‐ Are able to attend all program sessions ‐ Are able to pass a pre‐exercise screening questionnaire for physical activity Children can participate if they are 3‐5 years old, but not attending primary school in the year of the trial. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Body fat percentage (children) measured using the InBody720 bioelectrical impendence analyser[Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Body fat percentage (fathers) measured using the InBody720 bioelectrical impendence analyser.[Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Body Mass Index (BMI) (fathers): calculated using the standard formula (i.e., weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres). Weight will be measured using digital scales and height will be measured using a stadiometer. [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Body Mass Index z‐score (BMI‐z) (children): calculated using age‐ and sex‐adjusted standardised scores. Weight will be measured using digital scales and height will be measured using a stadiometer. ; [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Co‐parenting (mothers and fathers) measured using Feinberg's co‐parenting scale [mother and father report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Dietary intake (children) ‐ measured using the Child and Adolescent Australian Eating Survey [mother‐report][Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Dietary intake (fathers) ‐ measured using the adult Australian Eating Survey food frequency questionnaire [father report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Executive function (children) measured using the Heads, Toes, Knees and Shoulders test.[Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Father self‐efficacy ‐ measured using the positive engagement and direct care subscales of the Fathering Self Efficacy scale [father‐report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Father‐child co‐physical activity (days/week) ‐ measured using an adapted item from the Youth Media Campaign Longitudinal Survey [father report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Object Control Fundamental Movement Skill Competency (children), measured using the Test of Gross Motor Development 3 [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Physical activity (sub‐group of 50 randomly allocated children) ‐ measured with one week of wrist‐worn accelerometry using wGT3X‐BT ActiGraph accelerometers (measure varying intensities of activities i.e. light, moderate, vigorous plus counts per minute) ; For every sequential block of 12 families that complete assessments, 5 will be randomly allocated at baseline assessments to complete this measure. The randomisation schedule for this study component will be completed by an independent statistician, packed into sealed opaque envelopes by a research assistant not involved in study assessments, and revealed to participants by a research assistant not involved in sequence generation or allocation concealment.[Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Physical activity and dietary parenting practices (fathers), measured with scales from the Parenting for Eating and Activity Scale [father report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Physical activity and dietary parenting practices (mothers), measured with scales from the Parenting for Eating and Activity Scale [mother report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Physical Activity Role Modelling (fathers) ‐ measured using the explicit role modelling scale from the Activity Support Scale [father report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Screen time (children) measured using an adapted version of the Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire [mother report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Screen time (fathers) measured using an adapted version of the Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire [father report] ; [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Screen time parenting practices (fathers) ‐ measured with scales developed for this study [father report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Screen time parenting practices (mothers) ‐ measured with scales developed for this study [mother report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Self‐reported physical activity (fathers) measured using an adapted version of the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire [father report] [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Social‐emotional well‐being (children) ‐ measured using the Self‐Control and Emotional Control problems scales from the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment Clinical Form [father report]. [Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Steps/day (fathers) ‐ measured with one week of pedometry using YAMAX SW200 pedometers (average steps/day used for analysis where at least 4 days are recorded, including at least one weekend day)[Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.] Weight (fathers and children) ‐ measured using calibrated electronic scales.[Baseline, 10 weeks post‐baseline and 9 months post‐enrollment.]