LEAP: The Live, Eat and Play Study

Study 1

ISRCTN45068927, assigned April 2004

The first Live, Eat and Play (LEAP) Study trialed a new strategy for use by General Practitioners (GPs), aimed at reducing overweight in Victorian primary school children. The project consisted of two phases:

A weight and height survey: 2200 children 5 - 9 years old were weighed and measured when they attended the medical practices of 34 participating Melbourne GPs.
The GP intervention: GPs undertook training in healthy family lifestyle counselling, using brief solution-focussed therapy and supported by a set of purpose-designed family materials. The participants were 163 families with children found to be overweight/mildly obese in the height and weight survey. The 82 families in the ‘Intervention’ group were offered four GP consultations to discuss healthy lifestyle changes. The 81 families in the ‘Usual Care’ group were not offered these consultations. Six and twelve months after the intervention period, participants completed questionnaires and were reweighed and measured.

Methodology:	Randomised controlled trial
Date:	Start: 2002 Finish: 2004
Funding:	Commonwealth Government Department AHMAC (Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Committee) Priority Driven Research Program

Study 2

ISRCTN52511065, assigned September 2005

The second Live, Eat and Play (LEAP2) Study was a larger trial, building on what we learned during LEAP1. The project consisted of two phases:

A weight and height survey: 4000 children aged between 5 and 9 years were weighed and measured when they attended the medical practices of 66 participating Melbourne GPs (May 2005 - July 2006).
The GP intervention: GPs undertook training in healthy family lifestyle counselling, using brief solution-focussed therapy, supported by a revised set of purpose-designed family materials. 258 families with children found to be overweight/mildly obese in the height and weight survey participated. The families in the ‘Intervention’ group were offered four GP consultations to discuss healthy lifestyle changes. The families in the ‘Usual care’ group weren't offered these consultations. Six and twelve months after joining the project, participants completed questionnaires, were reweighed and measured, and recorded 7 full days of physical activity by accelerometry.

Methodology:	Randomised controlled trial
Date:	Start: 2005 Finish: 2007
Funding:	National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Contact/Staff involved:	Bibi Gerner bibi.gerner@mcri.edu.au Phone: (03) 9345 7025

Publications

Wake M, Baur L, Gerner B, Gibbons K, Gold L, Gunn J, Levickis P, McCallum Z, Naughton G, Sanci L, Ukoumunne O. Outcomes and costs of primary care surveillance and intervention for overweight or obese children: the LEAP 2 randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2009;339:b3308doi:10.1136/bmj.b3308 http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bmj.b3308

Wake M, Gold L, McCallum Z, Gerner B, Waters E. Economic Evaluation of a Primary Care Trial to Reduce Weight Gain in Overweight/Obese Children: The LEAP Trial. Ambulatory Pediatrics 2008; 8: 336-341.

Gunn J, McCallum Z, Sanci L, Gerner B, Harris C, Wake M. What do GPs get out of participating in clinical research? Experience of the LEAP trial. Aust Fam Physician 2008; 37(5): 372-375.

Rogers L, Gerner B, Wake M, Gunn J. LEAP Trial [letter]. Aust Fam Physican 2007; 36(11): 887–888.

McCallum Z, Wake M, Gerner B, Baur LA, Gibbons K, Gold L, Gunn J, Harris C, Naughton G, Riess C, Sanci L, Sheehan S, Ukoumunne OC, Waters E. Outcome data from the LEAP (Live, Eat and Play) trial: A randomized controlled trial in a primary care intervention for childhood overweight/mild obesity. Int J Obes 2007; 31:630-636.

Moodie M, Haby M, Wake M, Gold L, Carter R. ACE-Obesity: Cost-effectiveness of a family-based GP-mediated intervention targeting overweight and moderately obese children. Submitted Economics & Human Biology 30 Aug 2007.

Gerner B, McCallum Z, Sheehan J, Harris C, Wake M. Are general practitioners equipped to detect child overweight/obesity? Survey and audit. J Paediatr Child Health 2006; 42(4):206-211.

McCallum Z, Wake M, Gerner B, Harris C, Gibbons K, Gunn J, Waters E, Baur LA. Can Australian general practitioners tackle childhood overweight/obesity? Methods and processes from the LEAP randomised controlled trial. J Paediatr Child Health 2005; 41:488-494.

Wake M, McCallum Z. Secondary prevention of overweight in primary school children: what place for general practice? Med J Aust 2004; 181(2):82-84.

Last Updated 16-Sep-2009. Authorised by: Frank Oberklaid. Enquiries: Penny Miller.