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Intervention for childhood obesity based on parents only or parents and child compared with follow-up alone
M Yackobovitch-Gavan1,2, D Wolf Linhard1,2, N Nagelberg1
1The Jesse Z and Sara Lea Shafer Institute for Endocrinology and Diabetes, National Center for Childhood Diabetes, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel.
Insights
Family-based interventions targeting parents and children effectively reduced body mass index standard deviation scores (BMI-SDS) in children. The parents-and-child group showed significant long-term improvements in BMI-SDS, highlighting its effectiveness in childhood obesity prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern.
- Effective interventions are crucial for prevention and treatment.
- Family-based approaches are recognized for their potential impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of family-based interventions for childhood obesity.
- To compare interventions targeting parents only versus parents and children.
- To assess both short-term and long-term outcomes.
Main Methods:
- An open-label randomized study involving 247 children (5-11 years) with elevated BMI.
- Three groups: parents-only, parents-and-child, and control.
- 12 weekly sessions with dieticians and psychologists, followed for 2 years.
Main Results:
- Both intervention groups showed a decrease in BMI-SDS at 3 months.
- The parents-and-child group demonstrated a significant long-term reduction in BMI-SDS over 2 years.
- No significant differences in metabolic syndrome rates were observed between groups.
Conclusions:
- Family-based interventions, particularly those including children, show promise for managing childhood obesity.
- Involving both parents and children in interventions leads to sustained positive effects on BMI-SDS.
- Further research may explore specific components for optimizing outcomes.
Objectives:
The study aims to assess the effects of family-based interventions targeted to parents only or to parents-and-child for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.
Method:
An open-label randomized study was conducted in 247 children (166 girls, 5-11 years) with body mass index (BMI) in the 85-98th percentile. Participants were allocated to three groups: parents-only (n = 89), parents-and-child (n = 84) and follow-up alone (n = 74). The intervention consisted of 12 once-weekly meetings with a dietician and psychologist. All children were followed for 2 years. Changes in anthropometric, clinical and lifestyle outcomes were assessed.
Results:
The 3-month intervention was completed by 58 (65.2%) in the parents-only, 61 (72.6%) in the parents-child and 49 (66.2%) in the control group (P = .554). BMI-standard deviation score (SDS) decreased from baseline to 3 months in both intervention groups (parents-only: from 1.74 ± 0.31 to 1.66 ± 0.36, P < .001; parents-child, 1.83 ± 0.33 to 1.76 ± 0.36, P = .012), with no significant change in the controls (1.73 ± 0.32 to 1.70 ± 0.31, P = .301). The 2-year follow-up was completed by 45 in each of the intervention groups (50.5% and 53.5%, respectively) and 37 controls (50%) (P = .896). Compared with baseline, only the parents-child group showed a significant decrease in BMI-SDS (1.56 ± 0.46, P = .006). The rate of children who met the criteria for metabolic syndrome tended to drop from 6.0% at baseline (14/232) to 1.5% at 3 months (12/137) (P = .109), with no significant between-group differences in the rate of metabolic syndrome at baseline or at completion of the intervention.
Conclusions:
An intervention programme that focuses on both parents and children was found to have positive short-term and long-term effects on BMI-SDS.
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