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J Clin Outcomes Manage
2009 Jul;16(7):315-321
Correlates of change in a childhood obesity treatment program
Wilson AJ, Latimer AE, Meloff LR
Abstract Objective: To conduct a preliminary examination of psychosocial determinants of health behavior change that underlie the success of a multidisciplinary, family-based childhood obesity treatment program. Methods: Participants were families enrolled in an obesity treatment program from July 2007 to December 2008. Nineteen families agreed to participate. Both the parent and the child individually completed questionnaires that assessed the child’s quality of life (QOL) and psychosocial factors related to healthy behaviors at the start of treatment and again after 4 months of treatment. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated at each visit. Complete data were available from 7 families. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations. Results: Children who attended more sessions had greater reductions in BMI and greater improvements in social support. Children whose BMI decreased more had greater improvements in physical health, psychosocial health, overall QOL, and social support. Improvements in QOL were associated with improvements in parental social support and self-efficacy. Conclusion: Given the severity of the comorbidities associated with childhood obesity, it is essential to further examine the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of treatment programs that are aimed to decrease BMI and improve QOL in children.
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