"Sacbe", a Comprehensive Intervention to Decrease Body Mass Index in Children with Adiposity: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Public Health Nutrition
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Traditional interventions for childhood adiposity show limited success in reducing body mass index (BMI) z-scores.
• Expert recommendations emphasize healthy lifestyle habits (HLS) tailored to the sociocultural context of families.
• A need exists for more effective, culturally sensitive programs engaging parents in childhood obesity interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the pilot program "Sacbe" in reducing BMI z-scores in children with adiposity.
• To assess the impact of a culturally sensitive, parent-involved HLS program on children's and parents' health.
• To achieve a higher success rate in managing childhood adiposity through a community-based approach.

Main Methods:

• Pilot study involving children aged 8-18 years with adiposity and their parents.
• Program included group workshops on HLS and nutrition, led by a pediatric endocrinologist, with dietitian reinforcement.
• Data on lifestyle habits and anthropometrics were collected monthly for 3-4 months.

Main Results:

• Significant reduction in BMI z-score observed in 72.7% (intention-to-treat) and 86.7% (protocol analysis) of children (p < 0.001).
• Average BMI z-score decreased by 0.22 ± 0.21 (p < 0.001).
• Parents (83% mothers) also experienced weight and body fat loss (p < 0.001), with decreased unhealthy habits.

Conclusions:

• The "Sacbe" program demonstrated high success rates by integrating parental participation, group sessions, and culturally sensitive HLS education.
• This pilot study exceeded expectations, highlighting the effectiveness of a holistic, family-centered approach to childhood adiposity.
• Standardizing and ensuring long-term reproducibility of such complex, culturally tailored interventions remain key challenges.