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Pilot of "Families for Health": community-based family intervention for obesity

W Robertson1, T Friede, J Blissett

  • 1Health Sciences Research Institute, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. W.Robertson@warwick.ac.uk

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|May 9, 2008
PubMed

Insights

The "Families for Health" program showed promise in reducing childhood obesity by improving lifestyle and family relationships. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm its effectiveness.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern requiring effective interventions.
  • Community-based family interventions can address multifactorial causes of obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate "Families for Health," a novel community-based family intervention targeting childhood obesity.
  • To assess the intervention's impact on BMI z-score, lifestyle behaviors, and psychosocial outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A pilot study involving 21 families with 27 overweight or obese children (aged 7-13) was conducted.
  • The 12-week "Families for Health" program included parallel parent and child groups focusing on parenting, lifestyle, and socio-emotional development.
  • Intention-to-treat analysis was used to evaluate changes in BMI z-score and other outcomes at 3 and 9 months.

Main Results:

  • The intervention resulted in a statistically significant reduction in BMI z-score at 3 and 9 months.
  • Improvements were observed in children's quality of life, lifestyle behaviors (reduced sedentary time, increased steps), parent-child relationships, and parental mental health.
  • Attendance was 62%, with 67% of children completing the program; key program components were rated as helpful by parents.

Conclusions:

  • "Families for Health" is a promising community-based intervention for childhood obesity.
  • The intervention demonstrated positive effects on psychosocial factors and lifestyle behaviors.
  • A definitive evaluation through a randomized controlled trial is recommended to confirm clinical effectiveness.
Abstract

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