MISSION
RESEARCH AGENDA
NETWORK ACTIVITIES
HWRN MEMBERS & ADVISORS
Linda Bandini, PhD1,2; Carol Curtin, MSW1; Aviva Must, PhD3 1
UMass Medical School/E.K. Shriver Center; 2Boston University
College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College 3
Tufts University School of Medicine;
Funded by the Maternal Child Health Bureau in 2013, the mission
of the HWRN-ASD/DD is:
to advance the understanding of obesity risk factors in children
with ASD and other developmental disabilities
to promote the development of evidence-based solutions to
achieve healthy weight in this population
to disseminate research findings to broad and diverse
audiences.
The HWRN-ASD/DD fulfills its interdisciplinary research agenda
by: engaging in formative research conducting pilot and feasibility
and/or acceptability
studies developing collaborative relationships to leverage
extramural funding for interdisciplinary research.
The Research Agenda focuses on:
childrens eating patterns and behaviors family practices around
food/mealtimes physical activity sedentary behavior patterns how
school and community-based organizations exert
influence on childrens food intake and physical activity
how these environments may be modified to promote healthy weight
in youth
how prevention or intervention programs can be developed,
adapted, and delivered
Promoting Physical Activity in Adolescents with Intellectual
& Developmental Disabilities Lauren Ptomey, PhD, RD, LD &
Joseph Donnelly, EdD
University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute
Data on effective strategies for increasing physical activity
(PA) in adolescents with IDD is extremely limited. This is a
12-week pilot study to explore using technology to deliver a
physical activity program to 30 adolescents with IDD using video
conferencing via a tablet computer. All participants will be
provided with a tablet computer and a Fitbit wireless PA monitor to
assess PA during the exercise sessions and any equipment
(resistance bands, hand weights) needed for the intervention. Three
weekly 30-minute PA sessions, focusing on both cardiovascular and
strength training, will be delivered to groups of five adolescents
with IDD in their homes by video conference on a tablet computer.
The primary aim will be assess the feasibility of delivering a
group-based PA intervention, conducted via video conferencing on a
tablet computer, in a sample of adolescents with IDD. The secondary
aims are to: 1) assess the quality of weekly activity accumulated
during the group exercise sessions, using data from the Fitbit
activity monitor. It is expected participants will obtain at least
20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA at each lesson, and 2) assess
participants attitudes toward PA using two simple questionnaires
administered at baseline and at the end of the 12-week
intervention. It is expected that attitude and self-efficacy toward
PA will improve across the 12-week intervention.
Family-Based Weight-Loss Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Kerri Boutelle, PhD
University of California, San Diego
Currently, the gold-standard behavioral intervention for weight
loss in children is family-based behavioral treatment (FBT), which
provides treatment to both the parent and the child. The initial
efficacy of a parent-only intervention has been demonstrated by the
investigative team and represents a promising model to provide
weight-loss treatment for parents of overweight and obese children
with ASD. The purpose of this pilot project is to design and pilot
a parent-only FBT for weight loss specifically tailored to the
unique needs and concerns parents of children with ASD. Existing
FBT manuals will be modified to incorporate parenting skills and
behavior modification strategies unique to parents of children with
ASD as well as session topics that focus on ASD and dietary
restrictions, increasing child motivation, introducing novel food
stimuli to children, and increasing consumption of fruits and
vegetables. Twenty families of children ages 5-13 yrs with will be
recruited to attend a weekly 16-session FBT-ASD group. The
feasibility, acceptability and initial efficacy of the program will
be evaluated, including parent and child weight loss, food intake,
physical activity, home food environment, and mealtime
behavior.
PILOT STUDIES
Secondary data analysis on the prevalence of overweight and
obesity in youth with ASD and intellectual developmental
disabilities
HWRN Secondary Data Analysis Core
Purpose: To estimate obesity prevalence in children with ASD and
ID and to assess how weight status is influenced by child age,
co-morbidities, and modifiable risk factors associated with
mealtimes and physical activity.
Used the 2011-2012 wave of the National Survey of Childrens
Health, a nationally representative survey conducted by the CDCs
National Center for Health Statistics.
95,677 parent interviews were completed from February 2011
through June 2012 Parents were interviewed about their childs
health. Parents reported height, weight, child age, co-
morbidities, and modifiable risk factors associated with
mealtimes and physical activity. Abstract on analyses were
presented at the Obesity Society in November 2014 One paper has
been submitted to BMC Pediatrics, Prevalence of obesity in children
with ASD Second paper on prevalence of obesity in children with ID
is in preparation.
SECONDARY DATA ANALYSES
Using dance to promote fitness and well-being in adolescent
girls with ID Heidi Stanish, PhD
University of Massachusetts Boston Dance represents a promising
vehicle for promoting PA among girls generally, and may be
particularly well-suited to girls with ID. Dance is viewed as an
enjoyable and popular activity and may serve as an ideal means for
engaging girls with ID by virtue of its non-competitive nature, the
ability to participate regardless of skill level, and the
camaraderie and opportunity for personal expression that it often
affords. The proposed pilot study will test the feasibility of a
10-week dance intervention for adolescent girls with ID that
includes group dance classes held at a YMCA and an at-home practice
component. The implementation of the dance intervention will be
evaluated through measures of enjoyment and satisfaction,
attendance, retention, engagement in moderate-to-vigorous physical
activity (MVPA) in group classes, and participation level in
at-home practice sessions. Changes in cardiorespiratory (CR)
fitness will be assessed and the impact of the intervention on
participants physical self-perception will be examined. Sixteen to
20 girls with ID ages 13-21 will participate.
Peer-reviewed articles Curtin, C. Hubbard, K., Anderson, S.E.,
E. Mick, A. Must, L.G. Bandini (in press) Food Selectivity,
mealtime behavior
problems, spousal stress, and family food choices in children
with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder" Journal of Autism and
Developmental Disorders
Curtin, C., Bandini, L.G., Must, A., Phillips, S. Maslin,
M.C.T., Lo, C., Gleason, J.M., Fleming, R.K., Stanish, H.I. (in
press) Including youth with intellectual disabilities in health
promotion research: development and reliability of a structured
interview to assess the correlates of physical activity among
youth. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities
Stanish, H.I., Curtin, C., Must, A., Phillips, S. Maslin,
M.C.T., Bandini, L.G. (in press) Comparison of enjoyment, barriers,
and beliefs about physical activity among adolescents with and
without autism spectrum disorder. Adapted Physical Activity
Quarterly.
Stanish, H.I., Curtin, C., Must, A., Phillips, S., Maslin,
M.C.T., Bandini, L.G. (in press) Physical activity enjoyment,
perceived barriers, and beliefs among adolescents with and without
intellectual disabilities, Journal of Physical Activity &
Health. PMID: 25830443
Must, M., Curtin, C., Hubbard, K., Sikich, L. Bedford, J.,
Bandini, L.G. (2014) Obesity prevention for children with
developmental disabilities. Current Obesity Reports, 3:156-170
Abstracts/papers/presentations national meetings Healthy Weight
Research Network for Children with ASD/DD, The CAAI virtual poster
symposium, July 2014 Healthy Weight Research Network. ATN/AIR-P
Advances in Autism Research & Care Webinar, July 15, 2014.
Healthy Weight Research Network for Children with ASD/DD, AUCD 2014
Conference, Washington DC, November 11,
2014 Establishing a Research Network Agenda for Promoting
Healthy Weight among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
and Developmental Disabilities (ASD/DD) American Public Health
Association (APHA), New Orleans, LA, November 2014,
The Obesity Society, November 2014, in Boston, MA: o Elevated
prevalence of obesity among children with autism spectrum disorder
(ASD): the disparity increases across
pre-adolescent and adolescent ages o Elevated prevalence of
obesity among children with intellectual disabilities (ID): the
disparity increases across pre-
adolescent and adolescent ages o A research gap: obesity in
children with autism and other developmental disabilities
Obesity As a Modifiable Risk Factor in the Treatment of Feeding
Problems in Children with ASD, as part of the panel entitled, "You
Want Me to Eat What? Novel Treatment Approaches for Food
Selectivity and Feeding Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum
Disorder," 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR),
May 2015, Salt Lake City, Utah
HWRN ADMINISTRATIVE CORE Linda G. Bandini, PhD, Associate
Professor of Pediatrics, E.K. Shriver Center- UMass Medical School;
Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences:
Sargent College ; Carol Curtin, MSW, Research Assistant Professor
of Family Medicine & Community Health, E.K. Shriver Center-
UMass Medical School; Aviva Must, PhD, Professor of Public Health,
Tufts University School of Medicine; Jessica DiBari, PhD, MHS,
Health Scientist, Division of Research, Maternal-Child Health
Bureau, HRSA; Donna Caira, E.K. Shriver Center, UMass Medical
School; Helen Hendrickson, MPA, E.K. Shriver Center, UMass Medical
School; Misha Eliasziw, PhD, Tufts University School of Medicine;
Sarah Phillips, MPA, Tufts University School of Medicine CORE
MEMBERS Kerri Boutelle, PhD, Associate Professor Pediatrics,
University of California, San Diego; Joseph Donnelly, EdD,
Professor of Internal Medicine, Center for Physical Activity and
Weight Management, University of Kansas; Richard Fleming, PhD,
Professor, Department of Exercise and Health Sciences University of
Massachusetts-Boston; Sandra Hassink, MD, Director of the Childhood
and Adolescent Weight Management Clinic, Nemours/A.I. duPont
Hospital for Children; Kathleen Humphries, PhD, Associate Director
of the Institute on Development & Disability Director of the
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disability Oregon
Health & Science University; Tanja Kral, PhD, Assistant
Professor Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences University of
Pennsylvania; Angela Odoms-Young, PhD, Assistant Professor,
Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois at
Chicago; James Rimmer, PhD, Director of the Lakeshore
Foundation/University of Alabama-Birmingham Research Collaborative
University of Alabama at Birmingham; Mary Segal, PhD, Senior
Research Scientist, Center for Obesity Research and Education,
Temple University; Nancy Elizabeth Sherwood Johnson, PhD, Senior
Research Investigator HealthPartners Institute for Education and
Research, School of Public Health; Linmarie Sikich, MD, Child
Psychiatrist and Associate Professor University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill; Heidi Stanish, PhD, Associate Professor; Department
of Exercise and Health Sciences University of Massachusetts-Boston
ADVISORS James Perrin, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical
School; Director, Mass General Center for Child and Adolescent
Health Policy; Director, Autism Intervention Research Network on
Physical Health; Michael H. Fox, ScD, Science Officer, Division of
Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects
and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; Tawara Goode, MA, Assistant Professor, Department of
Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center; Darcie Mersereau,
MPH, Vice President, Special Olympics; Elizabeth Weintraub, Member,
President Obamas Committee for People with Disabilities Association
of University Centers on Disabilities; Nate Blum, MD, Director,
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network The Childrens
Hospital of Philadelphia
HWRN PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
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