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Published on: February 2, 2017
ENTREN-F family-system based intervention for managing childhood obesity: Study protocol for a randomized controlled
Marta Rojo1, Tatiana Lacruz1, Santos Solano1
1Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology (Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology), Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain.
Insights
This study evaluated the ENTREN-F program, a family-based intervention for childhood obesity. The program showed promise in improving children's well-being and family functioning alongside weight management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health Interventions
- Family Systems Therapy
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue requiring effective management strategies.
- The study addresses the need for comprehensive interventions that go beyond weight loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of the family-system-based "ENTREN-F" program for childhood obesity.
- To compare "ENTREN-F" with a non-family-focused program ("ENTREN") and a control group.
Main Methods:
- A three-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial was conducted.
- The "ENTREN-F" program involved a multidisciplinary team, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles, and parent involvement.
- Primary outcomes included changes in BMI z-scores, psychological well-being, and family functioning over six months.
Main Results:
- The study protocol describes the methodology for assessing the "ENTREN-F" program's effectiveness.
- Primary outcomes focus on changes in child BMI z-scores, psychological well-being, and family functioning.
- Secondary outcomes include eating behaviors, physical activity, self-esteem, and parental factors.
Conclusions:
- This research is among the few randomized controlled trials examining a holistic approach to childhood obesity.
- The study aims to fill a gap in the literature by integrating psychological and family functioning improvements.
- Successful outcomes could lead to the integration of this program into national primary healthcare services.
Background:
Pediatric obesity is a primary public health concern, and designing effective programs for managing it is of the utmost importance. The objective of this study was to describe the protocol study of a three-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial aimed at assessing the efficacy of a family-system-based intervention ("ENTREN-F" program) for managing childhood obesity, compared to the "ENTREN" program (no "F" - without specific family-system-based workshop) and a control group (behavioral monitoring).
Methods/Design:
The ENTREN-F program was a multicomponent family-system-based intervention carried out by a multidisciplinary team in the primary health care setting. The program targeted children between 8 and 12 years with overweight and obesity (P ≥ 85th). Parents were actively involved in the process. The contents were designed using the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles. The program comprised individual behavioral monitoring, a healthy habits workshop for children and their parents, a CBT workshop for children, and a family-system-based workshop for parents, enhancing parental management skills plus family functioning. The trial's primary outcomes included changes in child body mass index (BMI) z-scores, child's psychological well-being, and family functioning over six months. Secondary outcomes included changes in eating behavior, physical activity, self-esteem, parental distress, parental feeding practices, and parental modeling.
Discussion:
To our knowledge, this is one of the few randomized controlled trials to assess the efficacy of a multicomponent program that considers health from a comprehensive perspective, trying to improve children's psychological well-being and family functioning besides weight loss. This study, therefore, addresses a gap in the literature. If found to be efficacious, it suggests a new potential health service for translation into National Primary Health Care services in Spain, one of the ten countries with the highest prevalence of obesity in Europe.
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