The Effectiveness of the Obesity Prevention Program Developed for Overweight and Obese Adolescents and Supported by Social Media Reminders

April 13, 2025 updated by: Adem SÜMEN, Akdeniz University

Obesity Prevention Program for Overweight and Obese Adolescents

Childhood overweight and obesity are defined as crises that adversely affect health and well-being, pave the way for various health problems in the future, and are increasingly prevalent worldwide. Obesity is a significant public health issue as it predisposes children and adolescents to lifelong diseases and contributes to increased mortality and morbidity in adulthood. Eating behavior irregularities and excesses during childhood and adolescence lead to deteriorating health and rising obesity incidence. This condition causes significant issues in the respiratory, endocrine, cardiovascular, digestive, and orthopedic systems while also creating psychological effects, such as weight-related dissatisfaction and social exclusion.

The dramatic increase in childhood obesity worldwide indicates that children's health habits have shifted over time. Effective lifestyle modifications and behavioral interventions focusing on healthy nutrition, physical activity, and stress management are essential for preventing and reducing obesity. Since children and adolescents spend most of their time in schools or extracurricular activities, schools play a crucial role in instilling healthy behaviors. Healthy eating habits established during adolescence often translate into sustainable lifestyle choices in adulthood, underscoring the importance of addressing obesity at an early stage.

Social media-supported awareness programs developed to prevent obesity can be an effective solution, especially for overweight and obese adolescents. Combatting obesity during childhood and adolescence is vital for reducing lifelong obesity risks and promoting overall health. Identifying and controlling risk factors associated with obesity are critical steps in improving individuals' quality of life.

Aim This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an obesity prevention program designed for overweight and obese adolescents and supported by social media reminders.

Significance In recent years, obesity has become a widespread public health issue affecting all age groups, including adolescents. Sedentary lifestyles and evolving living standards are considered primary contributors to this trend. Adolescents' awareness of obesity as a health issue and their adoption of healthy lifestyle habits are key components in fighting obesity. Particularly in school environments, promoting healthy eating habits and enhancing knowledge can effectively reduce obesity incidence.

This study seeks to assess adolescents' obesity status, eating addictions, nutritional literacy, and obesity awareness, thereby fostering healthy behavioral changes. The findings of this research are expected to fill gaps in the existing literature and guide future strategies in combating obesity.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

174

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey
    • Antalya
      • Kumluca, Antalya, Turkey, 07350
        • Akdeniz Universty

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Voluntary participation in the study
  • Being classified as overweight or obese according to BMI classification
  • Currently enrolled in a high school in the district
  • Having parental consent to participate in the study
  • Having no physical or mental disabilities or chronic illnesses (e.g., diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, etc.)
  • Having a social media account
  • Using the internet and owning a smartphone

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Incomplete completion of the study data collection forms
  • Withdrawal from participation in the study
  • Transferring to another school during the intervention period
  • Discontinuing internet and phone usage during the intervention period
  • Developing a chronic illness during the intervention period

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Education group
The group that will receive only an eight-week "Obesity Prevention Program."
Behavioral: Obesity prevention program
The Obesity Prevention Program was developed based on a literature review. Expert opinions (Public Health Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Nutrition and Dietetics) were obtained for the educational content, and the final version was formulated. The training program is planned in eight sessions. The program will be scheduled at times convenient for students after prior discussion with the school administration. Two sessions per week will be conducted, with each session expected to last approximately 30-40 minutes. Students will utilize school computers and projectors during the training. The program will include verbal presentations, PowerPoint slides, brainstorming, exercises, games, written and visual materials, video screenings, and Q&A sessions. Adolescents will try on weighted T-shirts of different weights, fruit plates will be distributed during sessions, and bookmarks, magnets, and brochures will be provided at the end of the sessions.
Experimental: Education + Social media supported group
The group that will receive only an eight-week "Obesity Prevention Program." For 12 weeks after the program, supportive and reminder messages on the topic will be sent three days a week via social media networks.
Behavioral: Obesity prevention program
The Obesity Prevention Program was developed based on a literature review. Expert opinions (Public Health Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Nutrition and Dietetics) were obtained for the educational content, and the final version was formulated. The training program is planned in eight sessions. The program will be scheduled at times convenient for students after prior discussion with the school administration. Two sessions per week will be conducted, with each session expected to last approximately 30-40 minutes. Students will utilize school computers and projectors during the training. The program will include verbal presentations, PowerPoint slides, brainstorming, exercises, games, written and visual materials, video screenings, and Q&A sessions. Adolescents will try on weighted T-shirts of different weights, fruit plates will be distributed during sessions, and bookmarks, magnets, and brochures will be provided at the end of the sessions.
Behavioral: Social media messages
In addition to the program, a total of 36 short messages will be sent three times a week to the Education + Social Media Supported group.
No Intervention: Control group
No intervention will be made by the researcher during the study. Only data collection will be conducted. At the end of the study, the "Obesity Prevention Program" will be provided.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The Healthy Eating Attitude Scale
Time Frame: 5-6 month
The scale was developed to measure attitudes toward healthy eating. It consists of 21 items, a five-point Likert scale, and 4 factors. These factors are named Information on Nutrition (IN), Emotion for Nutrition (EN), Positive Nutrition (PN), and Malnutrition (M). The lowest score that can be obtained from the scale is 21, and the highest score is 105. As the score on the scale increases, the attitude levels towards healthy eating also increase.
5-6 month
The Eating Behavior Similar to Addiction Scale
Time Frame: 5-6 month
The scale consists of 15 items and two subscales: appetite impulse and low diet control. The scale follows a five-point Likert format and is evaluated based on the total score. Higher scores on the scale indicate more pronounced addictive-like eating behaviors. A reduction in these behaviors is expected after the program.
5-6 month
The Obesity Awareness Level Scale
Time Frame: 5-6 month
The scale consists of 21 items and follows a four-point Likert structure. It comprises three subdimensions: Obesity Awareness (OA), Nutrition (N), and Physical Activity (PA). As the total score and the scores obtained from the subdimensions increase, the awareness level also increases.
5-6 month
The Adolescent Nutrition Literacy Scale
Time Frame: 5-6 month
The scale consists of 22 items and three subdimensions. Seven items form the Functional Nutrition Literacy subdimension, six items form the Interactive Nutrition Literacy subdimension, and nine items form the Critical Nutrition Literacy subdimension. The scale is based on a five-point Likert system, where responses are given as follows: "1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = neither agree nor disagree; 4 = agree; 5 = strongly agree." The scale allows a minimum score of 22 and a maximum score of 110, and as the total score increases, nutrition literacy also improves.
5-6 month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Akdeniz University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 1, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 27, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 30, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

February 5, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 16, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 13, 2025

Last Verified

April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Obesity Prevention Program

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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