Professor Philip Morgan – Chief Investigator
Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity & Nutrition
University of Newcastle
Callaghan NSW 2308
Philip.Morgan@newcastle.edu.au
Participant Information Statement for the Research Project:
‘Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids’ Transitioning for Sustainability Project
Dear Potential Participant,
You and your child are invited to participate in the research project identified above, which is being conducted by Prof Philip Morgan, Prof Ron Plotnikoff, Prof Robin Callister, Prof Clare Collins, Prof Tony Okely, and A/Prof David Lubans from the University of Newcastle. This research is funded by Coal and Allied in partnership with the Hunter Medical Research Institute.
Why is the research being done?
- Our research group has developed the ‘Healthy Dads Healthy Kids’ program to help men manage their weight and to provide families with information and strategies to lead healthy lifestyles.
- It is well understood that parents influence the food and physical activity habits in the home environment through their behaviours, attitudes, and approach to food and eating, and by being a role model. Parents of primary school children, in particular, play a pivotal role in establishing an environment that facilitates healthy physical activity and eating behaviours. In a recent study, it was found that the parenting behaviours of fathers, not mothers, predicted children’s weight status. As such, our project aims to determine whether having a father participate in the HDHK program has an effect on their children’s health and lifestyle behaviours.
- The information you provide in the program surveys will assist the University in evaluating how successfully HDHK is delivered in the community and will support future improvements to the program.
Who can participate in the research?
You can participate in this project if you are/have:
- a father or male guardian with a child a child aged 5 to 12 years (primary school age)
- aged 18-60 years
- Pass the online health-screening questionnaire
- Are available for assessment and program sessions (see below for details)
- Are computer literate and have regular access to the internet.
You will not be eligible to participate if you have:
- a history of major medical problems such as heart disease or diabetes
- orthopaedic or joint problems that would be a barrier to completing physical activities such as walking
- are taking medications that might interfere with weight loss or cause weight gain
What choice do you have?
Participation in this research is entirely your choice. You will only be included in the project if you have given your informed consent and completed the online registration form. If you do decide to participate, you may withdraw from the project at any time without giving a reason. This decision will not disadvantage you in any way.
What will you be asked to do?
| Assessment items and method of measurement | |
|---|---|
| FATHERS | CHILDREN |
| Physical measurements: | Physical measurements: |
| Height – self reported | Height – self reported |
| Weight – self reported | Weight – self reported |
| Survey questions: “Dads Questions about Dad” | |
| Physical Activity Levels | |
| Dietary Intake | |
| Parenting for PA & Nutrition | |
| Quality of life | |
| Household costs | |
| Background Information | |
| Adult Pre-exercise Screening Tool | |
| “Kids Questions Answered by Dad:” | |
| Child Physical Activity | |
| Child Sedentary Behaviour | |
| Child Dietary Intake |
Involvement of mothers
Mothers will be invited to attend the third session of HDHK alongside their husbands/partners. The session will include information on healthy eating for families and practical activities for the final 30 minutes. Additionally, mothers will receive a mother’s handbook to keep them informed throughout the program. Mothers will also be invited to the presentation in the final session where they will also be asked to complete a survey (the Parenting for Eating and Physical Activity survey). Mothers’ attendance at the third and final sessions and completion of the survey is an optional component of the project.Neither your own or your children’s participation in HDHK will be negatively affected should the children’s mother be unable to attend the program sessions or complete the survey.
There are nine sessions and you will attend seven sessions with your child, two sessions with your wife/partner (if available) and two information sessions on your own. Sessions will be delivered by University of Newcastle trained facilitators and each session will last approximately 90 minutes. Sessions 3, 4 & 6 will focus on activity and eating behaviours to support and achieve weight loss goals for fathers and promote healthy eating and physical activity for their children. Sessions 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 & 9 will involve the father and child/ren engaging in a variety of fun physical activities. Mothers will be invited to attend session 3 and 9.
How much time will it take?
- Each assessment survey should take less than 20 minutes to complete.
- Each HDHK session will take 90 minutes.
What are the risks and benefits of participating?
- Participants will complete a pre-exercise screening questionnaire during the registration process, which identifies persons at a higher risk of an adverse event during physical activity/exercise.If a participant answers ‘yes’ for any of the seven questions, they must seek guidance from their GP or appropriate allied health professional prior to undertaking the program.
- The program aims to help you maintain a healthy weight to reduce the risks associated with being overweight or obese.
- The study is designed to give you skills and knowledge to increase levels of physical activity and improve food choices. In turn, these behaviours will be passed onto your child to improve their lifestyle habits, which it is hoped will have a long-term benefit on their health and well being.
- The program will involve your child participating in physical activity, some of which may be moderate-to-vigorous in intensity for a short period of time. Physical activity inherently presents some risks such as asthma or bronchoconstriction, joint and muscular discomfort and elevated blood pressure. The structure of the physical activity program will minimise these risks by including appropriate warm-up, cool-down and stretching activities, and providing frequent rest and drink breaks.
How will your privacy be protected?
- Initially, all raw data will be stored in a locked filing cabinet in the chief investigator’s office to ensure its security and the confidentiality of any identified data. Only the research assistant and the chief investigators will have access to the raw data. The research assistant will then enter raw data into a statistics program.
- Individual data will be identified as it is collected due to multiple data entry points. This will ensure the research team has collected the necessary information from each participant. However, once all information has been gathered and uploaded to the statistics software, personal identifiers (e.g. your name) will be removed and replaced with a code. Further, once the information is entered on the data file, all paper records will be shredded and no person will be identifiable in the data files or in any published report. The results of the study will be published in general terms and will not allow the identification of individuals. The data file will be kept for at least five years beyond the completion of the project.
How will the information collected be used?
The results of the research will be reported and disseminated via national and international conferences and scientific publications. You will not be identified in any progress or full research reports completed for the funding bodies involved in the study. At the conclusion of the study, information on the project will be reported back to the community through the organisations involved.
What do you need to do to participate?
- Please read this Information Statement carefully and be sure you understand its contents. Please also discuss the project with your child to ensure they are willing to participate and understand they can withdraw from the project at any time and do not need to give any reason for withdrawing.
- If there is anything you do not understand, or you have questions, contact Emma Pollock (details below).
- If you and your child are willing to participate in this study, register to be involved in your local program, online at www.healthydadshealthykids.com.au.
Thank you for considering this invitation.
Further information – If you would like further information please contact:
Emma Pollock – Project Manager
Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity & Nutrition
The University of Newcastle
Callaghan, NSW, 2308
Ph:(02) 4921 6884
The 2014 Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids (HDHK) programs are part of a research study managed by the University of Newcastle, funded by Coal and Allied. As such, there is no cost involved with participating in the program. The 2014 study is aiming to evaluate the success of the programs when managed and delivered by University- trained staff located in the host communities. By registering for a HDHK program in your region, you are also registering and consenting both yourself and your child(ren) into this study. Participation in the study will involve completing three online surveys: one upon registration, one at the completion of the program, and a final survey six months following the program. The surveys will ask for information about you and your child(ren), and your experiences in the HDHK program. The information you provide in the surveys will assist the University to evaluate how successfully HDHK is delivered in the community and will support future improvements to the program. No findings will be published that could identify you, your child(ren) or any other individual. Your answers will be held in the strictest confidence, in accordance with University regulations. Your privacy will be protected by storage of the information you provide in a secure, password protected database at the University, accessed only by members of the research team.
Complaints about this research
This project has been approved by the University’s Human Research Ethics Committee, Approval No H-2010-0045
Should you have concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a complaint about the manner in which the research is conducted, it may be given to the researcher, or, if an independent person is preferred, to the Human Research Ethics Officer, Research Office, The Chancellery, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia, telephone (02) 49216333, email Human-Ethics@newcastle.edu.au.
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