Five-year follow-up of a family-based multidisciplinary program for children with obesity

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Public Health Nutrition
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern requiring effective, long-term interventions.
• Family-based multidisciplinary lifestyle programs are a common approach to managing pediatric obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the 5-year outcomes of a 12-month, family-based, multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention for children with obesity.
• To evaluate the long-term efficacy of the intervention on BMI standard deviation score (BMISDS) and other health markers.

Main Methods:

• A 5-year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial comparing a high-intensity intervention group with a low-intensity control group.
• Participants were children aged 5-16 years with obesity or overweight with comorbidities.
• Primary outcome was BMISDS; secondary outcomes included water intake, sweet drink intake, and health-related quality of life.

Main Results:

• The intervention did not achieve sustained reduction in BMISDS at 5 years.
• Younger participants (<10 years) at baseline showed a greater BMISDS reduction trajectory.
• High attendance was associated with a more favorable BMISDS trajectory.
• Persistent improvements in water intake and quality of life were observed in both groups.
• Reduced sweet drink intake was noted in the intervention group.

Conclusions:

• The family-based lifestyle intervention did not demonstrate long-term efficacy for the primary outcome of BMISDS reduction.
• Participant age at baseline and attendance are critical factors for achieving sustained results in childhood obesity interventions.
• Future interventions should consider these factors to enhance long-term effectiveness.