Behavioral Activation Approach to Parent Training: Feasibility of Promoting Routines of Exploration and Play During Mealtime (Mealtime PREP).

OBJECTIVE: Systematic approaches are needed to help parents with young children adopt healthy routines. This study examined the feasibility (home data collection, protocol adherence, intervention acceptance) of using a behavioral activation (BA) approach to train parents of children with sensory food aversions.

METHOD: Parents of young children (18-36 mo) were trained using the novel Promoting Routines of Exploration and Play During Mealtime intervention. Measures included video-recorded meals, Fidelity Checklist, Treatment Acceptability Questionnaire, and Behavioral Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale. Descriptive statistics were used.

RESULTS: Eleven children and their parents completed the study. Two of three feasibility benchmarks were met. Intervention acceptance was high (mean score = 43/48). On average, parents used three more intervention strategies after training than at baseline.

CONCLUSION: Using a BA approach to parent training shows promise for altering daily mealtime routines. Delivering this intervention in the home is feasible and received acceptable ratings among this sample.