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Predictors of Short- and Long-Term Attrition From the Parents as Agents of Change Randomized Controlled Trial for
Insights
Family system health and session attendance are key to reducing pediatric weight management program attrition. Understanding these factors helps improve long-term success for children with overweight or obesity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- High attrition rates pose a significant challenge in pediatric weight management interventions.
- Lifestyle and behavioral programs for children with overweight or obesity often struggle with participant retention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors associated with both short-term and long-term attrition in a parent-focused pediatric weight management intervention.
- To differentiate predictors of attrition across distinct phases of clinical intervention.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 52 families with children (ages 6-12) in the 85th percentile BMI or higher.
- Compared parent-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with parent-based psychoeducation.
- Analyzed attrition using general linear models, considering intervention type, child/parent weight status, sociodemographics, and family system health.
Main Results:
- Higher self-assessed family system health correlated with lower short-term attrition.
- Greater parent attendance at intervention sessions was linked to reduced long-term attrition.
Conclusions:
- Factors influencing attrition differ between the short-term and long-term phases of pediatric weight management interventions.
- Conceptualizing attrition based on intervention phases may enhance understanding and retention strategies.
Introduction:
Attrition in pediatric weight management is a substantial problem. This study examined factors associated with short- and long-term attrition from a lifestyle and behavioral intervention for parents of children with overweight or obesity.
Method:
Fifty-two families with children ages 6 to 12 years old and body mass index at or above the 85th percentile participated in a randomized controlled trial focused on parents, comparing parent-based cognitive behavioral therapy with parent-based psychoeducation for pediatric weight management. We examined program attrition using two clinical phases of the intervention: short-term and long-term attrition, modeled using the general linear model. Predictors included intervention type, child/parent weight status, sociodemographic factors, and health of the family system.
Results:
Higher self-assessed health of the family system was associated with lower short-term attrition; higher percentage of intervention sessions attended by parents was associated with lower long-term attrition.
Discussion:
Different variables were significant in our short- and long-term models. Attrition might best be conceptualized based on short- and long-term phases of clinical, parent-based interventions for pediatric weight management.
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