OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary impact of Parents and Tots Together (PTT), a family-based obesity prevention intervention, in Canada.PARTICIPANTS: Canadian parents of preschoolers (aged 2-5 years).SETTING: Ontario Early Years centres in southwestern Ontario. INTERVENTION:A pilot randomized controlled trial involving 48 parents who received either the PTT intervention (n = 27) or an attention-matched control home safety intervention (n = 21). To evaluate the feasibility of PTT, we assessed participant retention and outcome evaluation completion rates. To evaluate acceptability, we assessed program attendance and parents' responses to program satisfaction surveys. To evaluate preliminary impact, we assessed children's body mass index (BMI) at baseline, after intervention (end of 9-week intervention) and at 9-month follow-up. As well, at each time point, parents completed surveys assessing stress and self-efficacy related to parenting, children's sleep, activity, TV viewing and diet. OUTCOMES: Retention rates were high in the intervention (93%) and control (84%) study arms, and 87% of parents reported that they would highly recommend PTT to a friend. At 9-month follow-up, intervention parents reported lower parenting stress (β = 15.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 29.57, 2.07, p = 0.02) and greater self-efficacy in managing their child's behaviour (β = 0.16, 95% CI 0.002, 0.33, p = 0.05) than control parents. PTT had minimal influence on children's weight-related behaviours and BMI. CONCLUSIONS:The results suggest that PTT can feasibly be implemented and tested in the Canadian context. Preliminary impact results suggest that the program may be effective in changing general parenting; however, program content should be modified to adequately address children's weight-related behaviours.

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Ambition could be one important component of creative success across the bipolar spectrum.

The SHS program can be delivered to groups of caregivers in community settings, is positively received by caregivers, and produces desirable changes that can be expected to improve caregivers' home safety practices.

Pica is the persistent consumption of non‐nutritive, nonfood substances and is associated with adverse health complications. However, there is limited research on interventions for pica in youth. The objective of this study is to systematically review the empirical evidence for the effectiveness of behavioural interventions for pica in children and adolescents and to generate treatment recommendations. A systematic search yielded 823 articles extracted from five databases: CINALH, Family and Society Studies Worldwide, Medline, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Two reviewers completed initial sorting based on article titles and abstracts. Five reviewers completed sorting based on full article review. Thirty articles were included and double coded for demographic information, co‐morbid conditions, and intervention characteristics. These studies were case studies involving behavioural treatments for pica. Seventeen behavioural interventions were categorized into four treatment approaches: reinforcement‐based, response interruption, “other” interventions, and punishment‐based procedures. Interventions that resulted in near‐zero rates of pica were deemed effective. Findings showed support for contingent reinforcement, discrimination training as part of a combination treatment, physical restraint, time out, and contingent aversive stimulus. No evidence supported the effectiveness of response interruption procedures, including response blocking and visual facial screen. Other coded procedures did not appear effective. We recommend that the least restrictive procedures are implemented first, including a combination treatment with contingent reinforcement and discrimination training. As needed, more restrictive procedures can be added to the treatment package. This review will facilitate future empirical work and assist clinicians with treatment options for pica in youth. High‐quality trials are needed.