engleski

FAMILY-BASED GROUP TREATMENT FOR OVERWEIGHT/OBESE CHILDREN

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of outpatient family-based group treatment program for overweight/obese children. Methods: The treatment program is based on a multidisciplinary approach, structured treatment, education and monitoring of children with excessive body weight over 2 years. Both children and parents were separately included in small age-homogenous groups from 6 to 10 patients in which they went through one week program that included workshops about obesity and its consequences, healthy diet, physical activity and habits related to obesity. In the first year follow-up meetings were conducted every 2 months, and in a second year every 3 months. The multidisciplinary team consisted of psychologists, pediatric endocrinologists, social pedagogue, nutritionists and physiotherapists who separately educated children and their parents. The intervention was delivered at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb with 79 overweight and obese children aged 6-18yrs (45girls, 34boys) and their parents. The efficacy of the treatment was measured through change in BMI z-score from baseline after one and two years, through % of children that lost weight and by comparison with a control group (age 6-17yrs, 39girls, 42boys) that undergone standard individual physician counseling. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention and control group. Results: One year after the baseline 90% of intervention group and 60% of controls lost weight. 2yrs after the baseline 86% of intervention group and 70% controls maintained weight loss. Significant loss in zBMI has been found in both intervention and control group 1yr after the baseline (ΔzBMIint=0.5, t=9.26, p<0, 001 ; ΔzBMIcontr=0.2, t=3.23, p<0.01), as well as at the 2yr folow-up meeting (ΔzBMIint=0.6, t=6.43, p<0.001 ; ΔzBMIcontr=0.2, t=4.2, p<0.001). The intervention group had significantly higher zBMI reduction than controll group at both times (t1=4.27, p<0, 001 ; t2=3.27, p<0, 01). Conclusion: Our family-based outpatient group treatment has been shown effective in reducing obesity in children and more efficient than standard physician weight loss counseling. These results imply that an multidisciplinary family-based group program is a promising treatment option for childhood obesity.

overweight/obesity, children, family-based interventions

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