What we’re up to now…
Parent Influences on Eating Behaviors in Early Childhood
This project will assess parent feeding strategies and other contributors to child weight status to determine the relationship between parenting and weight gain in early childhood.
Principal Investigators: David Dobkin, MD (North Arlington Pediatrics) and Kelly Lowry, PhD, (CMH)
Project Partners: North Arlington Pediatrics
Sponsor: Northwestern University Practice Based Research Program (PBRP) Seed Grants
Clinician-driven optimization of an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) to promote adherence to guidelines for the identification and care of overweight and obese children
This project will bring together Erie Superior Family Health Center pediatricians to design a clinical support system to be implemented in their electronic health record.
Principal Investigators: Adolfo Ariza, MD (CMH) and Sara Naureckas, MD (Erie Family Health Center)
Project Partners: Erie Superior Family Health Center
Sponsor: Northwestern University Practice Based Research Program (PBRP) Seed Grants
Promoting Health: Strengthening Practices and Links to Community Resources
The Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) and the PPRG have joined forces on a two-year project to improve pediatric practices’ ability to manage overweight children both within the practice through screening, counseling and appropriate clinical services, as well as outside the practice through successful referrals to community resources.
Principal Investigators: Adolfo Ariza, MD (CMH)
Project Partners: ICAAP, Centro Salud Esperanza, Town and Country Pediatrics, Kidz Health, Riverpoint Pediatrics
Sponsor: Otho S.A. Sprague Memorial Institute and Northwestern University
Understanding Practice Strategies to Enhance Vaccination Rates
This new study partners with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) to examine factors influencing clinic-wide vaccination rates. Office managers or clinicians at ~250 practice sites in Chicago will be interviewed to assess staff responsibilities, reminder-recall, medical record prompts, and quality improvement activities.
Principal Investigators: Rachel Zweigoron-Sabbagh, MD (CMH)
Project Partners: Chicago Department of Public Health
Sponsor: Pediatric Practice Research Group, CMH
What’s wrapping up…
Small Steps Clinics Evaluations
This project will improve the understanding of how existing obesity care programs were created, clinic processes, challenges and patient-level outcomes in practices that have internal referral clinics. Preliminary analysis has been done, further analyses are underway.
Principal Investigators: Adolfo Ariza, MD (CMH)
Project Partners: Pediatric Health Associates, North Arlington Pediatrics, Erie Superior Family Health Center , St. Joseph Hospital Laboure Outpatient Center
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Monitoring Prevention
This project aims to extend a previous PPRG study that suggested that weight for age greater than the 75% predicted obesity in preschool years to a larger number of practices. This project also looks at children below the 5th percentile for weight-for-age, height-for-age, or weight-for-height. Analyses are currently underway.
Principal Investigators: Helen Binns, MD MPH (CMH)
Project Partners: PCC Community Wellness Center, Pediatric Specialists of the Northwest, Pediagroup Associates, Traisman Benuck Traisman Merens & Kimball
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health and Northwestern University
Safe and Healthy Homes (abstract)
This project seeks to prevent childhood lead poisoning through a collaborative community effort launched to provide education and resources on the dangers and abatement of lead contaminated dwellings and its impact on children and their families in Chicago’s underserved populations.
Principal Investigator: Helen J. Binns, MD, MPH (CMH)
Project Partners: Metropolitan Tenants Organization, IL Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics
Sponsor: US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Improving Medication Use for ADHD in Primary Care (abstract)
A randomized trial of a practice- and physician-directed intervention on treatment and monitoring procedures to improve the use of stimulants in primary care pediatric settings.
Principal Investigator: John Lavigne, PhD (CMH)
Project Partners: Children’s Memorial Hospital Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Sponsor: National Institutes of Mental Health
ODD/Depression in Young Children: Developmental Aspects (abstract)
Parents and Children Together: Studying the Origins of Healthy, Happy Children
To prospectively examine family and child factors that contribute to the maintenance of a healthy behavioral development or the emergence, persistence, or disappearance of child behavioral conditions among preschool and early school-age children.
Principal Investigator: John Lavigne, PhD (CMH)
Project Partners: IL Institute of Technology Psychology
Sponsor: National Institutes of Mental Health
Developing and Testing Feasibility of a Tailored Lifestyle Intervention Program to Assist Clinical Practices in Treating Overweight Children (abstract)
This project will develop a program that uses contacts with a trained Lifestyle Coach and information from visits to their child’s doctor to help parents overcome barriers to achieving a healthier weight for their child.
Principal Investigator: Linda Van Horn, PhD RD(Northwestern University)
Project Partners: Northwestern University Preventive Medicine/Nutrition
Sponsor: Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC)
Opportunities to Participate…
Project E.A.T.
Project Eating And Teaching is a research study to examine how parents influence the eating habits of young children between 22-48 months. Conflicting data about how parents influence child eating can make it difficult to deliver effective counseling messages. Project EAT will help determine which child and parent behaviors are associated with child food intake and how those interactions influence child weight. If you are interested in receiving information and materials to post in your practice, please contact Kelly Lowry, PhD (klowry@childrensmemorial.org).
Principal Investigator: Kelly Lowry, PhD(CMH)
Sponsor: Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences KL2 Award
Fit 4 Kids: Family, Food, Fun & Fitness
This study will assess the efficacy, safety, feasibility and acceptability of a family-based lifestyle intervention program intended to assist practitioners. The pilot study is for families with children between 4 and 10 years of age who are obese and English speaking.
The intervention is led by a registered dietitian, who will serve as a Lifestyle Coach (LC). The LC is trained and skilled in Motivational Interviewing (MI). The LC will use group and individual sessions to counsel parents over a twelve-month intervention about diet, physical activity, and related behaviors. If your practice is interested in learning more about how you can refer families to the Fit 4 Kids pilot study, please contact Niki Gernhofer (n-gernhofer@northwestern.edu) at Northwestern University.
Principal Investigator: Linda Van Horn, PhD RD (Northwestern University) and Adolfo Ariza, MD (CMH)
Sponsor: J.R. Albert Foundation and Northwestern University
Food Allergy Study
The Children's Memorial Food Allergy Study is researching the environmental and genetic influences on food allergies. This study aims to find answers to some fundamental questions: What are the causes of food allergy? How can food allergy be predicted and prevented? And what are better treatments for food allergy? The study team is currently enrolling families with at least one food allergic child under 21 years with both biological parents willing to participate. It consists of two parts: 1) a questionnaire; and 2) a clinical evaluation that involves a blood sample, an allergy skin test and a breathing test. The commitment for families is a one-time visit.
Benefits for participants include Target gift cards, free testing and results. If you are interested in receiving more information or would like to advertise the study in your office(s) by using recruitment brochures and flyers, please contact Leslie Lesner at 1.888.573.1833 or allergystudy@childrensmemorial.org. Visit the study website at www.childrensmrc.org/allergy
Principal Investigator: Xiaobin Wang, MD MPH ScD (CMH) and Jacqueline Pongracic, MD (CMH)
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health (NIH), Chicago Community Trust, Food Allergy Initiative and other generous donors.