The information in this resource is intended only to provide educational information. This profile describes the estimated benefits, activities, resources, and leadership needed to implement a strategy to improve child health. This information can be useful for planning and prioritization purposes.
- Home visits to reduce TV time is a program to disseminate a screen time managing device to families through a home visiting program to reduce screen time among children ages 4-7.
What population benefits?
Children ages 4-7 with BMI >75th percentile who receive home visits.
What are the estimated benefits?
Relative to not implementing the strategy
Reduce child daily television time which can help improve dietary intake and, in turn, promote healthy child weight.
What activities and resources are needed?
| Activities | Resources | Who Leads? |
| Coordinate the training rollout | • Time for the director to coordinate the trainings | Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program |
| Train community health workers who would implement the program | • Time for community health workers to receive trainings • Travel costs • Material costs |
Home Visiting Program Coordinator |
| Train registered nurses about referring children to home visits to reduce screen time | • Time for registered nurses to receive trainings • Travel costs |
Home Visiting Program Coordinator |
| Purchase program materials | • TV control device cost • Posters cost • Incentives for children cost |
Home Visiting Programs |
| Coordinate patient referrals and provide counseling during home visits | • Time for registered nurses to recruit and refer patients • Time for community health workers to implement |
Community health center registered nurses & community health workers |
Strategy Modification
Some state and local health agencies added to this strategy by teaching about parental controls on other screen devices (e.g., tablets, smart phones, etc.). This could help parents limit all types of screen time for their children, not just on the television. This would require additional training and materials for families.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Kenney EL, Mozaffarian RS, Long MW, Barrett JL, Cradock AL, Giles CM, Ward ZJ, Gortmaker SL. Limiting television to reduce childhood obesity: cost-effectiveness of five population strategies. Child Obes. 2021 Oct;17(7):442-448. doi: 10.1089/chi.2021.0016.
Selected CHOICES research brief including cost-effectiveness metrics:
Carter S, Bovenzi M, Sabir M, Bolton AA, Reiner JR, Barrett JL, Cradock AL, Gortmaker SL. Boston, MA: Home Visits to Reduce Screen Time {Issue Brief}. Boston Public Health Commission, Boston, MA, and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; February 2023. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/publications/brief-home-visits-screen-time
- Browse more CHOICES research briefs & reports in the CHOICES Resource Library.
- Explore and compare this strategy with other strategies on the CHOICES National Action Kit.
Suggested Citation
CHOICES Strategy Profile: Home Visits to Reduce TV Time. CHOICES Project Team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; September 2023.
Funding
This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376). The information provided here is intended to be used for educational purposes. Links to other resources and websites are intended to provide additional information aligned with this educational purpose. The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.
Adapted from the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist