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Parental involvement does not augment the effectiveness of an intense behavioral program for the treatment of

Eirini Bathrellou1, Mary Yannakoulia, Katerina Papanikolaou

  • 1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.

Hormones (Athens, Greece)
|August 7, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Active parental involvement did not significantly alter outcomes in a childhood obesity lifestyle intervention. The intervention effectively reduced children's overweight percentage, with results maintained long-term.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern requiring effective management strategies.
  • Lifestyle interventions are crucial for addressing pediatric overweight and obesity.
  • The role of parental involvement in pediatric weight management interventions needs further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the impact of active parental involvement in a lifestyle intervention for childhood obesity.
  • To compare the effectiveness of a child-and-parent group versus a child-alone group in managing childhood overweight.
  • To determine if parental engagement influences the long-term success of obesity management programs.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 42 overweight children (aged 9.2 ± 0.2 years).
  • Participants were assigned to either a child-and-parent group (N=23) or a child-alone group (N=19).
  • Both groups received a 3-month multidisciplinary program with cognitive behavioral therapy principles and self-regulation components, followed by booster sessions. The key difference was the level of parental involvement.

Main Results:

  • No significant interaction between time and group, nor a significant difference between the groups was observed.
  • Percent overweight significantly decreased by 4.9 ± 1.4% at 18 months (p < 0.001).
  • The reduction in overweight percentage occurred during the initial 3-month treatment phase and was sustained throughout the 18-month follow-up period.

Conclusions:

  • Active parental involvement did not significantly enhance the effectiveness of the lifestyle intervention for childhood overweight management in this study.
  • The multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention itself demonstrated significant and sustained effectiveness in reducing children's overweight percentage.
  • Further research may be needed to identify specific parental engagement strategies that could optimize outcomes in pediatric obesity interventions.
Abstract

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