Happy Family Kitchen II, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) to enhance Family Health, Happiness and Harmony in Hong Kong: A cluster randomized control trial under FAMILY Project

Abstract

Hong Kong Council of Social Service and School of Public Health, HKU conducted a three-arm cluster randomized control trial (cRCT) of a community-based participatory research (CBPR) “Happy Family Kitchen II” during July 2012 to June 2013. The present paper compared intervention arm A and control arm C to determine whether CBPR intervention improved family health, happiness and harmony (3Hs). 31 organizations in Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing districts were randomly allocated into: intervention arms A (n=11) and B (n=10), and waitlist control arm C (n=10).Within positive psychology and an agreed similar framework, each organization organized their own program on one selected theme of “Five-Taste Model” for people aged 6+ recruited by organization. Arm A had two intervention-sessions and one tea-gathering, and arm C had tea-gathering first (intervention at 3 months later). Participants were assessed four times (T1, pre-intervention; T2, immediately post-intervention; T3 and T4, 1 and 3 months after T2). Changes of primary outcomes from T1 to T3/T4 were compared in participants aged 12+ of arms A and C. Behavior score change was greater in arm A (n=416) than arm C (n=432) at both T3 (Effect size=0.11, p=0.03) and T4 (ES=0.21, p=0.003). Family health score and happiness score changes were greater in arm A than arm C at T3, with ES=0.23 (p=0.001) and ES=0.18 (p=0.01) respectively. Mental health score and intention score changes were greater in arm A than arm C at T4, with ES=0.16 (p=0.03) and ES=0.18 (p=0.01) respectively. All changes above indicated improvements in outcomes. This was the first cRCT to evaluate a CBPR short intervention in Hong Kong, which was effective with small effect size in increasing participants’ intention and practice in healthy behaviors and improving family 3Hs, suggesting that CBPR, evidence-based and evidence-generating programmes are feasible and effective.