Dispositional and situational correlates of long-term weight reduction in obese children

Two samples of obese children were studied in order to investigate the extent to which four classes of variables were associated with weight reduction outcomes: use of self-control techniques, degree of social support, attributional style, and self-reinforcement style. One sample participated in a program in Wisconsin (n = 22) 1-2 years before assessment, whereas the second sample completed a similar program in Pittsburgh (n = 17) 3 months prior to assessment. Children and parents were individually interviewed using structured protocols, and children also completed a block design task. Children's self-reinforcement and attributional styles, motivation to change, problem-solving style, family environment, and intellectual skills were assessed. Regression analyses selected a subset of variables which were clearly associated with change in percent overweight and Feinstein indices, computed from pretreatment and from posttreatment to time of assessment. Substantial proportions of outcome variance were accounted for in the Wisconsin sample but not in the Pittsburgh sample. The results suggest that obese children who terminate ineffective problem-solving efforts quickly and who make more adaptive weight reduction attributions may be more likely to succeed in long-term weight reduction. The differential results in the two samples suggest that variables investigated in this study may play a greater role in maintenance than in initial behavior change.