Health BehaviorNCT07224412
A Digital Intervention to Promote Preschool Nutrition and Activity: The eHEROs Study
A study testing KnowHow Program in people with Health Behavior, run by Cornell University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the Know-How program, a 10-week digital intervention for families of young children promoting healthy eating and activity behaviors and environments. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Health Behavior
- What is being tested?
- KnowHow Program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 5 Jan 2026to 30 Mar 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Participants must have a preschool-aged child (3-5 years) with no disabilities or conditions that impact typical eating and activity behaviors.
- Adult participants must have access to a smartphone, reliable internet at home, and can make video calls.
Who cannot join
- Adults who do not have a child aged 3-5 or child has a disability/condition that impact typical eating and activity behaviors.
- Technology access is limited.
- Adults who read, write or speak a language other than English.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York, 14853-0001
Laura Bellows, 607-253-2173, laura.bellows@cornell.edu
laura.bellows@cornell.edu
About this study
Official title: Utilizing Digital Health Approaches to Promote Early Childhood Healthy Eating and Activity Behaviors
The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the Know-How program, a 10-week digital intervention for families of young children promoting healthy eating and activity behaviors and environments.
Read the detailed description
The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the KnowHow program, a 10-week digital intervention for families of young children promoting healthy eating and activity behaviors and environments. The KnowHow program, which provides parent education on the topics of mindful parenting, healthy eating, and physical literacy, consists of three components: 1) a custom mobile application (app), 2) virtual group discussions, and 3) child-centered support materials mailed to participating families. The study will include an intervention group and a delayed control group. Feasibility of the digital intervention will be assessed at post-test only by recruitment, retention, usability, and acceptability. Implementation outcomes include measures of digital engagement, enactment, and intention to sustain, and will be collected at post-test only. Theoretical mediators include parent self-efficacy and behavioral capability and will be collected pre- and post-test. Behavioral outcomes, also collected at pre- and post-test, include mindful parenting, parent-child feeding practices, and physical activity parenting practices. Study assessments for the theoretical mediators and behavioral outcomes will be collected at Baseline (Time 1, pre-intervention) and at Post-Test (Time 2, post-intervention) at the same time for both groups. No additional assessments will be collected for the delayed control group at the conclusion of implementation.
- Conditions
- Health Behavior
- Being tested
- KnowHow Program
- Keywords
- parents, child, preschool, mHealth, mobile app, nutrition, physical activity
- Medical subject headings
- Health Behavior, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
KnowHow ProgramBehavioural
Also called eHEROs
The KnowHow intervention is a 10-week program that provides parent education on the topics of mindful parenting, healthy eating, and physical literacy. The intervention consists of three components: 1) a custom mobile application (app), 2) virtual group discussions, and 3) child-centered support materials mailed to participating families. (1) The KnowHow app will provide parent education using a variety of modalities The 'know' will provide parents with the core information on mindful parenting, healthy eating, and physical literacy, and the 'how' will give strategies to incorporate the information into daily routines and activities. To facilitate the transition from the 'know' to 'how', the app will have a 'Kid Zone' with content to engage in activities with the preschooler. KnowHow app content will be divided into five modules that include A) lessons (text, audio, video), B) activities, and C) assessments. (2) During the 10-week intervention, participants will also meet via Zoom for
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| KnowHow Program | Experimental | Families will participate in the 10-week KnowHow program and will receive/participate in 1) a custom mobile application (app), 2) virtual group discussions, and 3) child-centered support materials Receives: Behavioral: KnowHow Program |
| Wait List | No intervention | Families will not receive any intervention during the 10-week study. Families will receive access to the KnowHow app only for 10 weeks at the conclusion of the study. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Recruitment
Number of completed interest forms resulting in enrollment.
Measured: Baseline (week 0)
Retention
Proportion of intervention activities (e.g., app modules and assessments) completed.
Measured: 10 weeks
Usability
Mean scores using the System Usability Scale (SUS) to estimate ease of use, complexity, confidence in using, and likelihood of use (scale 0-5, with higher scores indicating higher rankings of usability)
Measured: Post-Intervention (week10)
Acceptability
Mean ratings of information helpfulness, goal setting, liking of the program, willingness to recommend, and desire for additional information (scale 0-5, with higher scores indicating higher acceptibility)
Measured: 10 weeks
Digital Engagement
Percentage of participants engaging with the app (i.e., engagement by topic, features, and temporal patterns), and by dosage (i.e., completion rates of modules and within-app activities).
Measured: Post-Intervention (week10)
Intention to sustain
Qualitatively capture, via individual interviews, intervention strategies relating to target behaviors which were implemented or adopted.
Measured: Post-intervention (week 10)
Secondary outcomes (5)
Mindful Parenting
Mean scores using the Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting survey (I-MP) will assess five constructs of mindful parenting: parent/caregiver listening with full attention, emotional awareness of self and child, self-regulation, compassion of self and child, non-judgmental acceptance of self and child). Scale, 0-5, with higher scores indicating higher mindful parenting.
Measured: Baseline (week 0) and Post-Intevention (week 10)
Parent-Child Feeding Practices
Mean scores from the Food Parenting Inventory (FPI) will assess Autonomy (encourages exploration of new foods, offers new foods, repeatedly presents new foods) and Control (pressure to eat, food as reward). Scale, 0-5, with higher scores indicating more positive child feeding practices.
Measured: Baseline (week 0) and Post-Intervention (week 10)
Physical Activity Parenting Practices
Mean scores from teh PA Parenting Practices (PAPP) will assess three parenting domains: Structure (nondirective support, supportive expectation, restriction of physical activity inside), Autonomy (autonomy support, guided choice), and Control (coercive control). Scale, 0-5, with higher scores indicating more positive PA practices.
Measured: Baseline (week 0) and Post-Intervention (week 10)
Perceived Parenting Self-Efficacy
Mean scores of questions adapted from the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scales and will assess the offering of healthy foods, providing physical activity opportunities for their child, and engaging in positive interactions with their child related to healthy eating, physical activity, and modifying the home environment. Scale, 0-5, with higher scores indicating higher self-efficacy.
Measured: Baseline (week 0) and Post-Intervention (week 10)
Behavioral capability skills
Means scores of questions adapted from the Feeding Knowledge Questionnaire to assess parent feeding knowledge and misconceptions, and the PLAYshop instrument adapted for use in parents of preschool-age children to assess physical literacy knowledge and confidence. Scale, 0-5, with higher scores indicating more higher behavioral capability.
Measured: 10 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Nov 2025
- Study start5 Jan 2026
- Primary completion30 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Mar 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Health BehaviorStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- parallel pilot feasibility study
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cornell University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), University of Colorado, Denver
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Laura L Bellows, PhD, Principal investigator, Cornell University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07224412
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB0010703
- Other IDs
- 2021-68015-34557
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 22 Oct 2025
- Last updated
- 12 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Any unique resources will be made available immediately after publication. Procedures to protect the privacy of health data of individuals will be implemented to ensure HIPPA privacy standards are met. After the publication of outcome data, it will be made available to individuals who have IRB approval. The final dataset will be de-identified prior to sharing. We will insure that data and associated documentation is available to users only under a data sharing agreement that states a commitment to: 1) using the data only for research purposes, 2) securing the data using appropriate technology protection; and 3) destroying the data after analyses are completed.
Publications
Bellows LL, Oke S, Reyes LI, Carmona BA, Johnson SL. Development of a Digital Parent Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating and Activity in Preschoolers: The eHEROs Study. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2025 May;57(5):450-459. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2025.01.008. Epub 2025 Feb 7.
PubMed 39918513
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 12 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Utilizing Digital Health Approaches to Promote Early Childhood Healthy Eating and Activity Behaviors
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07224412
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRB0010703
- Conditions
- Health Behavior
- Keywords
- parents, child, preschool, mHealth, mobile app, nutrition, physical activity
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Cornell UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), University of Colorado, Denver
- Study start
- 5 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 4 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the Know-How program, a 10-week digital intervention for families of young children promoting healthy eating and activity behaviors and environments.
Detailed description
The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the KnowHow program, a 10-week digital intervention for families of young children promoting healthy eating and activity behaviors and environments. The KnowHow program, which provides parent education on the topics of mindful parenting, healthy eating, and physical literacy, consists of three components: 1) a custom mobile application (app), 2) virtual group discussions, and 3) child-centered support materials mailed to participating families. The study will include an intervention group and a delayed control group. Feasibility of the digital intervention will be assessed at post-test only by recruitment, retention, usability, and acceptability. Implementation outcomes include measures of digital engagement, enactment, and intention to sustain, and will be collected at post-test only. Theoretical mediators include parent self-efficacy and behavioral capability and will be collected pre- and post-test. Behavioral outcomes, also collected at pre- and post-test, include mindful parenting, parent-child feeding practices, and physical activity parenting practices. Study assessments for the theoretical mediators and behavioral outcomes will be collected at Baseline (Time 1, pre-intervention) and at Post-Test (Time 2, post-intervention) at the same time for both groups. No additional assessments will be collected for the delayed control group at the conclusion of implementation.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- parallel pilot feasibility study
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| KnowHow Program | Experimental | Behavioral: KnowHow ProgramFamilies will participate in the 10-week KnowHow program and will receive/participate in 1) a custom mobile application (app), 2) virtual group discussions, and 3) child-centered support materials |
| Wait List | No intervention | –Families will not receive any intervention during the 10-week study. Families will receive access to the KnowHow app only for 10 weeks at the conclusion of the study. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Participants must have a preschool-aged child (3-5 years) with no disabilities or conditions that impact typical eating and activity behaviors.
- Adult participants must have access to a smartphone, reliable internet at home, and can make video calls.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Adults who do not have a child aged 3-5 or child has a disability/condition that impact typical eating and activity behaviors.
- Technology access is limited.
- Adults who read, write or speak a language other than English.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| KnowHow ProgramAlso: eHEROsThe KnowHow intervention is a 10-week program that provides parent education on the topics of mindful parenting, healthy eating, and physical literacy. The intervention consists of three components: 1) a custom mobile application (app), 2) virtual group discussions, and 3) child-centered support materials mailed to participating families. (1) The KnowHow app will provide parent education using a variety of modalities The 'know' will provide parents with the core information on mindful parenting, healthy eating, and physical literacy, and the 'how' will give strategies to incorporate the information into daily routines and activities. To facilitate the transition from the 'know' to 'how', the app will have a 'Kid Zone' with content to engage in activities with the preschooler. KnowHow app content will be divided into five modules that include A) lessons (text, audio, video), B) activities, and C) assessments. (2) During the 10-week intervention, participants will also meet via Zoom for | Behavioural | KnowHow Program |
Primary outcome
Recruitment
Time frame: Baseline (week 0)
Number of completed interest forms resulting in enrollment.
Retention
Time frame: 10 weeks
Proportion of intervention activities (e.g., app modules and assessments) completed.
Usability
Time frame: Post-Intervention (week10)
Mean scores using the System Usability Scale (SUS) to estimate ease of use, complexity, confidence in using, and likelihood of use (scale 0-5, with higher scores indicating higher rankings of usability)
Acceptability
Time frame: 10 weeks
Mean ratings of information helpfulness, goal setting, liking of the program, willingness to recommend, and desire for additional information (scale 0-5, with higher scores indicating higher acceptibility)
Digital Engagement
Time frame: Post-Intervention (week10)
Percentage of participants engaging with the app (i.e., engagement by topic, features, and temporal patterns), and by dosage (i.e., completion rates of modules and within-app activities).
Intention to sustain
Time frame: Post-intervention (week 10)
Qualitatively capture, via individual interviews, intervention strategies relating to target behaviors which were implemented or adopted.
5 secondary outcomes
Mindful Parenting
Time frame: Baseline (week 0) and Post-Intevention (week 10)
Parent-Child Feeding Practices
Time frame: Baseline (week 0) and Post-Intervention (week 10)
Physical Activity Parenting Practices
Time frame: Baseline (week 0) and Post-Intervention (week 10)
Perceived Parenting Self-Efficacy
Time frame: Baseline (week 0) and Post-Intervention (week 10)
Behavioral capability skills
Time frame: 10 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 12 Feb 2026.
- Background: PubMed 39918513Bellows LL, Oke S, Reyes LI, Carmona BA, Johnson SL. Development of a Digital Parent Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating and Activity in Preschoolers: The eHEROs Study. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2025 May;57(5):450-459. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2025.01.008. Epub 2025 Feb 7.
- Related InfoLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Any unique resources will be made available immediately after publication. Procedures to protect the privacy of health data of individuals will be implemented to ensure HIPPA privacy standards are met. After the publication of outcome data, it will be made available to individuals who have IRB approval. The final dataset will be de-identified prior to sharing. We will insure that data and associated documentation is available to users only under a data sharing agreement that states a commitment to: 1) using the data only for research purposes, 2) securing the data using appropriate technology protection; and 3) destroying the data after analyses are completed.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Laura L Bellows, PhD principal investigator
Cornell University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing KnowHow Program in people with Health Behavior, run by Cornell University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Laura L Bellows, PhD, MPH, RDN (607-253-2173, laura.bellows@cornell.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Recruitment (time frame: Baseline (week 0)). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07224412, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 12 Feb 2026.