Testing a multicomponent lifestyle intervention for combatting childhood obesity

Ivo Vlaev, Michael J Taylor, David Taylor, Paul Gately, Laura H Gunn, Aliza Abeles, Abdelhamid Kerkadi, Jackie Lothian, Sahar Karim Jreige, Aziza Alsaadi, Mohamed G Al-Kuwari, Suhaila Ghuloum, Hanan Al-Kuwari, Ara Darzi, Mohamed Ahmedna, Ivo Vlaev, Michael J Taylor, David Taylor, Paul Gately, Laura H Gunn, Aliza Abeles, Abdelhamid Kerkadi, Jackie Lothian, Sahar Karim Jreige, Aziza Alsaadi, Mohamed G Al-Kuwari, Suhaila Ghuloum, Hanan Al-Kuwari, Ara Darzi, Mohamed Ahmedna

Abstract

Background: Childhood obesity is a major global health concern. Weight-management camps involving delivery of a program of physical activity, health education, and healthy eating are an effective treatment, although post-intervention weight-management is less well understood. Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of a weight-management camp followed by a community intervention in supporting weight-management for overweight children and children with obesity.

Methods: Participants were overweight Qatari schoolchildren or schoolchildren with obesity, ages 8-14 years, (n = 300) recruited over a three-year period across 14 randomly selected schools in the Doha area. They attended a two-week weight management camp, then a 10-week program of weekly lifestyle education and physical activity sessions, which also included behavior change techniques. The programme was cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-focused with a strong element of behavioural economics blended in.

Results: Participants saw a significant BMI SDS reduction as a result of the entire intervention (camp + education and activity sessions) both at the individual (p < 0.0001) and cluster/school (p = 0.0002) levels, and weight loss occurred during each intervention stage separately for the camp (p < 0.0001 for both the individual and cluster/school levels) and the lifestyle education and activity phase (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0220 at the individual and cluster/school levels, respectively).

Conclusions: Weekly lifestyle education and activity sessions which include behavior change techniques may be useful in promoting continued weight management in the period following intensive, immersive childhood obesity interventions.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02972164 , November 23, 2016.

Keywords: Behaviour change; Childhood obesity; Community health; Intervention; Weight management program.

Conflict of interest statement

Professor Paul Gately is a Professor at Leeds Beckett University as well as being the Managing Director and a shareholder of MoreLife UK Ltd. MoreLife UK Ltd. is an organisation that delivers weight management and health improvement programmes in the UK, it is a subsidiary company of Leeds Beckett University. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schedule of weekly activities at the camp
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Flow of participation in the trial
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Change in BMI SDS between baseline and post-club, with the diagonal line representing no change
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Mean changes in BMI SDS by school between baseline and post-club, including sex and within-school sample size. Negative numbers indicate reductions from baseline to post-club follow-up

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Source: PubMed

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