MySteps is a free internet program that aims to change teens’ lifestyle behaviours.  It specifically focuses on teaching adolescents healthy habits such as:

• increasing vegetable intake,
• decreasing dietary fat intake,
• increasing total physical activity, and
• decreasing TV watching time. 

 The intervention includes:

• interacting with a health coach by email and telephone for teens and parents,
• using a pedometer to track daily activities, and
• completing questions online about daily physical activity and eating behaviour

The goals of this project are:

• To understand the factors that influence the participation of adolescents in an internet delivered intervention which aims at changing their physical activity, sedentary, and eating behaviours; 
• To examine the role of the home and school environments in changing behaviours;
• To examine the role  parents and their peers play in preventing adolescents’ change in behaviours; and
• To learn about parents’ thoughts regarding how easy and/or difficult it is for them to utilize the MySteps program to provide support to their teens.

On this page:

• About the project
• What is MySteps?
• What is expected?
• Timeframe
• Do I get anything for participating in this project?
• How do I participate?
• Funding Agency
• Research team and consultants
• Contact Information

For a PDF version of the material presented here please click here.

About the project

We are looking for volunteers who wish to take part in the MySteps project, a research study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. 

MySteps is a free internet program aimed to help teens who want to achieve or maintain a healthy weight by modifying their health behaviours.  The goal of this project is to examine what motivates teens and their parents to change their lifestyle behaviours.  Also, we want to understand how family and/or friends and the environment (i.e., home and school) influence the teen’s ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The project will last 8-months and requires 4 visits with a member of our research team.  

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What is MySteps?

MySteps is an internet based lifestyle modification program designed to help teens and their parents achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight.  The primary focus of the program is to teach parents and teens healthy habits by focusing on:

• increasing fruit and vegetable intake,
• decreasing fat intake,
• increasing total physical activity, and
• decreasing TV watching time. 

MySteps includes:

• A website for teens that is tailored to their unique needs and directs them to pick a weekly goal that they hope to achieve;
• A parent website that provides them with information about how to create a health-promoting home environment and how to support their son/daughter’s goal-setting activities and achievements;
• Telephone and e-mail counseling for teens and parents; and
• Free pedometers for both parents and teens.

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What is expected?

Individuals who decide to participate in this project will be asked to come to BC Children’s Hospital 4 times during the 8-month period and meet with our team.  Both the parent and child need to come to each visit.

Visit 1

Both the parent and teen will have their height and weight measured and will complete a series of questions that measure physical activity, sedentary, and eating behaviours and factors that can influence these behaviours (1 hr to 1 ½ hr meeting). In addition, the teen may be asked to complete a blood test.

Visit 2 (2 weeks after your first visit)

Participants will receive a demonstration of the MySteps program.

Visits 3 and 4 (4-months and 8-months after your second visit)

Both the parent and teen will meet with our team, and we will take the same measurements that were taken during their first visit.

In between visits

Participation includes logging on to the MySteps program website on a weekly basis.  From time to time, you will need to complete some questions regarding your health behaviours. The amount of time you spend on the program website varies.  At most, it will take about one hour to review the weekly material.

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Timeframe

The program will take approximately 8 months to complete. 

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Do I get anything for participating in this project?

For participating in this project, the parent and teen will receive a nominal incentive after each of their 4 visits with the research team.  They will also both be provided with a pedometer to track their activities.

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How do I participate?

If you would like to participate in this project, please email mysteps@cfri.ubc.ca or call us at 604.875.2000 ext: 6393.

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Funding Agency

This project is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

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Research Team and Consultants

Research Team

Dr. Louise Mâsse, PhD

Obesity Research Specialist

Dr. Jean-Pierre Chanoine, MD

Endocrinologist

Dr. Josie Geller, MD

Psychiatrist

Dr. Constadina Panagiotopoulos, MD

Endocrinologist

Dr. Rollin Brant, PhD

Statistician

Dr. Susan Barr, PhD

Nutrition and Dietician Research Specialist

Consultants

Dr. Sheri Thompson, PhD

Santech, Inc.

Vice President Business Development

Dr. Kevin Patrick, MD, MS

Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine

University of California, San Diego

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Contact Information

If you have any questions or want more information about this study before or during participation, you may contact a member of the study team 604.875.2000 ext. 6393 or you may email us at mysteps@cfri.ubc.ca. 

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