Media Use in Preschooler Study (MUPS)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00959309 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : August 14, 2009
Last Update Posted : November 13, 2017
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Childhood obesity is an epidemic and increasing. There are very few effective treatments for obesity in children. Recent studies have shown an association between obesity and sedentary behaviors such as television, video viewing and playing video games ('screen time') in preschool aged children. A school based intervention to reduce screen time in older children has been effective in preventing obesity.
The reduction of screen time may lead to the prevention of obesity and its complications in preschool children.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Obesity | Behavioral: Strategies to decrease screen time in children Behavioral: Non-Strategical Media Education | Phase 4 |
There have been no trials examining an intervention to decrease screen time in preschool children in the physician office setting. This setting is appealing for interventions directed to preschool children because of accessibility. In addition, other public health interventions implemented in a physician office setting, such as home safety advice, have been effective.
The proposed study design will be a randomized controlled trial. The intervention group will receive the study intervention, which is a 15 minute session about the health impact of screen time in children and strategies to decrease screen time.
The objective of this study is to determine if an office based intervention is effective in decreasing screen time (television, video viewing and playing video games) in preschool children.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 160 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator) |
Primary Purpose: | Prevention |
Official Title: | Media Use in Preschooler Study (MUPS) An Office Based Intervention to Improve Media Use in Preschool Children: a Randomized Controlled Trial |
Study Start Date : | October 2007 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | December 2009 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | December 2009 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: Intervention |
Behavioral: Strategies to decrease screen time in children
15 minute session about the health impact of screen time in children and strategies to decrease screen time (removing televisions from the child's bedroom, budgeting screen time, providing a contingency plan for time spent not watching TV, encouraging family meal time, and implementing a one week television turn off, where children are encouraged to spend one week without watching TV/videos). Activities for the child include reading a story about television viewing (The Berenstain Bears and Too Much TV), and creating a list of non TV related activities to replace TV time. The intervention group will receive a CPS handout titled 'Promoting Good Television Habits' and a calendar with stickers for the television turn off. Educational session on good media use (information on television rating systems, internet safety, and limiting exposure to violent programming, and the CPS handout entitled 'Managing Media in the Home') |
Active Comparator: Control |
Behavioral: Non-Strategical Media Education
Educational session on good media use (information on television rating systems, internet safety, and limiting exposure to violent programming, and the CPS handout entitled 'Managing Media in the Home') |
- Parent reported number of hours screen time on the previous weekday and previous weekend day [ Time Frame: 6 and 12 months ]
- Number of meals in front of the TV [ Time Frame: 6 and 12 months ]
- Activity levels [ Time Frame: 6 and 12 months ]
- Anthropometric measures [ Time Frame: 12 months ]

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 3 Years to 3 Years (Child) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Inclusion Criteria:
- registered to attend a 3 year old well child visit
Exclusion Criteria:
- children with limitations in ambulation or cognitive delay will be excluded from the study.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00959309
Canada, Ontario | |
The Hospital for Sick Children | |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1X8 |
Principal Investigator: | Catherine Birken, MD | The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto Canada |
Responsible Party: | Catherine Birken, Staff Paediatrician, The Hospital for Sick Children |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00959309 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
1000009542 |
First Posted: | August 14, 2009 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | November 13, 2017 |
Last Verified: | November 2017 |
pediatrics media MUPS |