Obesity prevention in defined (high school) populations

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Digital Health Interventions

Background:

• Disseminating internet-based weight management programs to high school students requires adaptation to local needs.
• Demonstrating effectiveness for both universal and targeted populations is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of an inexpensive, internet-based health program for weight regulation and maintenance in diverse, lower socioeconomic status ninth-graders.
• To evaluate a program offering both universal healthy weight regulation and targeted weight loss/maintenance.

Main Methods:

• 118 normal-weight and 64 overweight/obese ninth-graders participated in a 10-week internet-based intervention.
• Participants were allocated to either a healthy weight regulation or weight-loss maintenance program.
• Measurements included dietary intake, self-reported body mass index (BMI) changes, and weight/shape concerns.

Main Results:

• The program was successfully implemented with minimal investigator assistance.
• Significant increases in fruit and vegetable consumption (P=0.001) and reductions in BMI for overweight students (P=0.001) were observed.
• Students found the program engaging, and high-risk females reported reduced weight/shape concerns, indicating lower eating disorder risk.

Conclusions:

• Internet-based healthy weight programs are feasible and cost-effective for ninth-graders.
• The program can serve as a foundation for adaptive, quality-improvement-focused research.
• This approach supports universal and targeted health promotion in schools.