Development and evaluation study of FLY-Kids: a new lifestyle screening tool for young children

Evaluating, discussing, and advising on young children’s lifestyles may contribute to timely modification of unhealthy behaviour and prevention of adverse health consequences. We aimed to develop and evaluate a new lifestyle screening tool for children aged 1–3 years. The lifestyle screening tool “FLY-Kids” was developed using data from lifestyle behaviour patterns of Dutch toddlers, age-specific lifestyle recommendations, target group analyses, and a Delphi process. Through 10 items, FLY-Kids generates a dashboard with an overview of the child’s lifestyle that can be used as conversation aid. FLY-Kids was completed by parents of children aged 1–3 years attending a regular youth healthcare appointment. Youth healthcare professionals (YHCP) then used the FLY-Kids dashboard to discuss lifestyle with the parents and provided tailored advice. Parents as well as YHCP evaluated the tool after use. Descriptive and correlation statistics were used to determine the usability, feasibility, and preliminary effect of FLY-Kids. Parents (N = 201) scored an average of 3.2 (out of 9, SD 1.6) unfavourable lifestyle behaviours in their children, while 3.0% complied with all recommendations. Most unfavourable behaviours were reported in unhealthy food intake and electronic screen time behaviour. Parents and YHCP regarded FLY-Kids as usable and feasible. The number of items identified by FLY-Kids as requiring attention was associated with the number of items discussed during the appointment (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). Conclusion: FLY-Kids can be used to identify unhealthy lifestyle behaviour in young children and guide the conversation about lifestyle in preventive healthcare settings. End-users rated FLY-Kids as helpful and user-friendly. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00431-023-05126-6.