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Table 2 Studies included in this review

From: Process evaluations of early childhood obesity prevention interventions delivered via telephone or text messages: a systematic review

Trial name: First author publication year (year study commenced), Country, (Reference #)

Age of child at Intervention commencement (intervention duration) in months

Measured study outcomes

Study design

Main medium of intervention delivery

Supplementary medium of intervention delivery

Intervention delivery provider

Intervention setting

No. of sessions

Parity

Retention %

Measurement time points

Care giver age (years)

Qualifications of mother

INFANT: Campbell 2008 (2008), Australia [3]

3 (15)

BMI; TV viewing, PA and non-core drink & fruit, veg, dietary intake

Cluster-randomised controlled trial

Group sessions

Text messages + mail-outs

Dietitians

Parent groups

6 calls (number of text messages not specified)

Primiparous 100%

89

3 months, 9 months, 20 months

32.3

54.2% tertiary qualified

Carlsen 2013 (2010), Denmark [29]

At birth (6)

BMI; exclusive breastfeeding & any breastfeeding

Randomised trial

Telephone

None

Certified lactation consultant

Participant choice

9

Primiparous 67%

85

1 months, 3 months, 6 months

31.3

Not reported

PRIMROSE: Doring 2014 (2014), Sweden [30]

9 (48)

BMI and waist circumference; eating habits, physical activity

Cluster-randomised trial

Face-to-face

Group sessions + telephone

Child Health Centre nurses

Child Health Centres

9 total - 7 face-to-face; 2 telephone

First-time mothers, 100% primiparous

unclear

BMI at baseline (6–9 months); BMI at 4 years of child’s age;

30.3

66.8% tertiary qualified

Franco-Antonio 2018 (2018), Spain [31]

At birth (6)

Breastfeeding; breastfeeding self-efficacy

Multi-centre parallel group RCT

Combination: Face-to-face + telephone

None

Midwife or trained nurse

Community

4

Primiparous (34.1%)

92

0 mo (baseline), 1 month, 3 months, 6 months

32.8

26.1% tertiary qualified

MumBubConnect Gallegos 2014 (2010), Australia [32]

2.5 (2)

Breastfeeding rates and breastfeeding self-efficacy

Non-concurrent, prospective comparison trial

Text messages

Telephone + social media

Breastfeeding counsellor

Participant choice

8

Not reported

86

2–3 months, 4–5 months

31

61% tertiary qualified

Gibby 2019 (2019), Hawai’I & Puerto Rico [33]

Near birth (4)

Weight changes; feeding practices

Randomised controlled trial

Text messages

None

Third-party web-based text messaging platform

Participant choice

18

Primiparous (40.2%)

84

0-1mo and 4-6mo

27

53.5% tertiary qualified

Steps to Growing Up Healthy: Gorin 2014 (2014), USA [34]

35 (12)

BMI

Randomised trial

Combination: Face-to-face + telephone + home visits

None

Medical team (clinician, paediatric resident, nurse and medical assistant); phone calls and home visits by community health worker (CHW)

Paediatric primary care clinic

4

Not reported

90

35mo and 47mo

35.4

Not reported

Healthy Habits, Happy Homes: Haines 2013 (2011), USA [35]

48 (6)

Behavioural outcomes: eating meals together as family, sleep duration, TV viewing time, presence of TV in child’s sleeping room)

Randomised trial

Combination: Home visits + telephone + text messages + educational materials

None

Health educator

Mainly at home

48 total - 4 home visits; 4 telephone calls; 40 text messages

Not reported

92

48mo and 54mo

Not reported

49% tertiary qualified

Hannan 2012 (2012), USA [36]

At birth (2)

Weight gain

Randomised clinical trial

Telephone

None

Paediatric nurse practitioners

Participant choice

6

Primiparous 100%

unclear

0 and 2 months

24.1

69.1% high school qualified or more

Harris-Luna 2018 (2018), USA [37]

At birth (3)

Exclusive Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding duration

Pragmatic design

Telephone

None

Certified promotoras

Participant choice

8

Not reported

100

0 to 12 weeks

26.36

Not reported

M528: Hmone 2017 (2015), Myanmar [38]

During pregnancy 28 weeks’ gestation (9)

Exclusive breastfeeding rate

2-group parallel-arm randomised controlled trial

Text messages

None

Text messages were sent by CommConnect,Telerivet

Participant choice

117 text messages

Primiparous 57%

79

1,2,3,4,5 & 6 months

60% 25–34 age group

96% high school qualified

Healthy Babies: Horodynski 2011 (2011), USA [39]

1 (11)

Infant growth pattern; maternal knowledge and self-efficacy; feeding practices

Randomised experimental short-term longitudinal controlled trial

Home visits

Telephone

Paraprofessional instructor

Mainly at home

9

Not reported

unclear

1 month (baseline), 6 months and 12 months

Not reported

75% high school qualified

Jiang 2014 (2014), China [40]

3rd trimester of pregnancy (15)

Duration and rate of EBF; timing of intro of solid foods; other feeding practices (eg. cup feeding, bottle feeding, food reward)

Quasi-experimental design

Text messages

None

FrontlineSMS used for sending messages

Participant choice

66

Primiparous 100%

82

Breastfeeding at 4,6,12mo; Intro of solid foods at 4, 6mo; infant feeding behaviours at 12mo

25–29 age group (58.4%)

100% high school qualified

The Baby Milk Trial: Lakshman 2015 (2011), UK [41]

At birth (6)

Change in weight; change in BMI; skinfold thickness

Explanatory, parallel, individually randomised controlled trial

Combination: Face-to-face + telephone + leaflets + stickers

None

Research nurses

Health check clinics

5

Primiparous 51.9%

87

Baseline, 6 months and 12 months

31.9

59.3% tertiary qualified

Growing Healthy: Laws 2018 (2015), Australia [42]

At birth (9)

Breastfeeding duration; Intro to solids; formula preparation (where applicable)

Quasi-experimental design

Combination: App + website + push notifications + text messages

Emails + social media

App and website developed by research team

Participant choice

72 push notifications + text messages but App available 24 × 7

Primiparous 57.5%

80

Baseline (3mo), 6 months and 9 months

30.4

78.9% tertiary qualified

Smart Moms: Nezami 2018 (2014), USA [43]

55 (6)

Child SSB consumption and BMI

Two-group randomised controlled trial

Combination: Group session + Website + text messages

None

Principal investigator

Community group session

73 total - 1 group + 72 text messages

Not reported

82

Baseline (56.4 mo), 3 months and 6 months post-intervention

36.6

81.5% tertiary qualified

Patel 2018 (2010), India [44]

3rd trimester of pregnancy (9)

Exclusive Breastfeeding; bottle feeding

Two-arm, hospital-based pilot study

Combination: Telephone + text messages

None

Auxiliary nurse midwives

Participant choice

288 total - 36 calls + 252 text messages

Not reported

92

24 h after birth, weeks 6, 10 14 and at 6 months

<=24 age group 50.9%

29.5% high school qualified

WIC: Pugh 2010 (2003), USA [45]

At birth (6)

Breastfeeding

Two-group randomised controlled trial

Hospital and home visits

Telephone

Nurse + Peer counsellor

Mainly at home

17

Primiparous 50.6%

71

6 weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks postpartum

23.1

11.3% tertiary qualified

Tahir 2013 (2010), Malaysia [46]

At birth (6)

Breastfeeding practice

Single blinded randomised controlled trial

Telephone

None

Certified lactation counsellors (Nurses trained in lactation counselling)

Participant choice

12

Primiparous 38.1%

89

1 month, 4 months, 6 months

28.6

27.7% tertiary qualified

Baby’s first bites: van der Veek 2019 (2019), Netherlands [47]

4 (12)

Vegetable consumption, vegetable liking, child eating behaviours, child anthropometrics

Four-arm randomised controlled trial

Combination: Print materials + telephone

None

Trained researchers or Master’s students

Participant choice

5

100%

95

Baseline, 18, 24 and 36 months

30.4

41.6% high school qualified

Mothers & Others: Wasser 2017 (2013), USA [48]

At 30 weeks’ gestation during pregnancy (14)

Mean weight-for-length z-score; exclusive breastfeeding; intro to complementary foods; fruit and vegetable intake; infant sleep; and expsoure to television

2-group randomised controlled trial

Combination: Home visits+ Newsletters+ text messages

None

Peer Educator plus Certified Lactation Consultant

Mainly at home

Total 130–8 home visits + 122 text messges

Not reported

unclear

Not reported

Not reported

Not reported

Healthy Beginnings: Wen 2007 (2007), Australia [2]

At 30 weeks’ gestation during pregnancy (26)

Duration of breastfeeding; delayed introduction of solids; feeding habits; tv viewing; active play; overweight and obesity

Randomised controlled trial

Home visits

Telephone

Specially trained community nurse

Mainly at home

8 plus pro-active telephone

Primiparous 100%

75

Baseline, 6 months; 12 months; 24 months

26

80.4% high school qualified

CHAT: Wen 2017 (2017), Australia [1]

At 28 weeks’ gestation during pregnancy (15)

Tummy time, drinking water, cup feeding, TV viewing, BMIz, TV viewing, fruit / vegetable intake

3-arm parallel randomised controlled trial

Combination: Telephone + intervention booklets (or) text messages + intervention booklets

Email

Child and family health nurse (telephone); automated SMS

Participant choice

6 calls or 48 text messages

Primiparous 54%

80

Baseline (on recruitment); 6 months; 12 months

< 30 age group 70%

68% Tertiary qualified

Linked trial for HB: Wen 2019 (2019), Australia [19]

24 (12)

BMI and BMIz; diet, PA and screen time; cost-effectiveness

Parallel randomised controlled trial

Combination: Telephone + text messages + intervention booklets

Email

Child and Family Health Nurse/midwife

Participant choice

3 calls plus 48 text messages

Ongoing

ongoing

Baseline at 24 months and 36 months of child’s age

Ongoing

Ongoing