Prevention of Excess Weight Gain Among Adolescent Military-Dependents at High Risk for Obesity

Given their unique psychosocial milieu, military-dependent youth (children of service members) may be vulnerable to excess weight gain, adverse cardiometabolic health, and binge eating. This study aimed to test the effects of group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), relative to a standard-of-care health education (HE) group, on these outcomes in adolescent military-dependents.

Military-dependent 12 to 17-year-olds with BMI ≥ 85th percentile and elevated anxiety and/or recent loss-of-control-eating participated in a multisite cluster randomized controlled trial comparing 12 weeks of adapted group IPT, targeting psychosocial problems, to a HE group. BMI, cardiometabolic health, and binge eating were assessed at baseline, posttreatment, and 1-year follow-up. BMI and cardiometabolic variables were measured or retrieved from electronic medical records at 2- and 3-year follow-ups.

We were not able to recruit a fully powered trial; however, we analyzed data from 153 adolescent military-dependents (43.8% boys) with LOC-eating and/or high anxiety. There were no group differences between IPT and HE on outcomes. Some improvements in BMI indices, glucose regulation, and binge eating (p < 0.001) were observed across both groups.

Group-based interventions may positively impact weight trajectories and cardiometabolic health among adolescent military-dependents. Future studies should elucidate potential moderators and mechanisms of interventions on outcomes in this important population.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02671292.