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Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a 1-year dietary and physical activity intervention of childhood
A Martikainen1, A M Eloranta2,3,4, U Schwab2,4
1Clinical Nutrition, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Hyvinkää, Finland. anni.martikainen@hus.fi.
Insights
This study evaluates a family-based lifestyle intervention for childhood overweight. The intervention aims to reduce BMI-SDS and is cost-effective, with implications for obesity treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Childhood overweight is a growing public health concern.
- Effective interventions are needed to manage and prevent obesity progression.
- Understanding cost-effectiveness is crucial for healthcare system planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of a lifestyle intervention on childhood overweight.
- To explore factors influencing intervention outcomes.
- To assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention for the healthcare system.
Main Methods:
- Recruitment of 80 children aged 6-12 years with overweight or obesity.
- Randomization into an intensive, family-based lifestyle intervention group or a standard care control group.
- Data collection including questionnaires and plasma samples at baseline and 12 months.
Main Results:
- The intervention group received intensive diet and physical activity counseling from a multidisciplinary team.
- The control group received standard care without lifestyle intervention.
- Outcome variables will be compared between groups to determine efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Positive effects and cost-effectiveness of the lifestyle intervention are hypothesized.
- Successful outcomes could significantly impact childhood obesity treatment.
- Findings may inform improvements in healthcare system management of pediatric obesity.
Background:
We investigate and try to find out the optimal duration and intensity for the treatment and content useful for clinical work. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effects of lifestyle intervention on the management of childhood overweight and to explore the factors that contribute to the outcome, as well as the costs for the health care system. The hypotheses of the study are that lifestyle intervention is efficient in reducing BMI-SDS and thus effective in preventing overweight from progressing to obesity, and it is also cost-effective.
Methods And Analyses:
We aim to recruit 80 children and they randomize either to an intervention group or a control group with standard care. The intervention group receives intensive, family-based diet, and physical activity counseling, delivered by a multidisciplinary team of a pediatrician, a nurse, and a clinical nutritionist. The control group does not receive any lifestyle intervention during the study. The inclusion criteria are age of 6-12 years, weight-for-height ≥ + 40% or ≥ + 30%, and increasing curve. All participants fill out the study questionnaires and plasma samples are taken at baseline and at 12 months. Outcome variables will be compared between intervention and control groups.
Discussion:
If the effects of this lifestyle intervention are positive and it is also cost-effective, the implication of our study will be of great importance to the treatment of childhood obesity and to improve the health care system.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06126679. Registered on 25 October 2028 in Finland.
Orcid:
0009-0009-6659-5290.
