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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016 Mar;22(2):86-95.
doi: 10.1177/1357633X15586642. Epub 2015 May 29.

Treating rural paediatric obesity through telemedicine vs. telephone: Outcomes from a cluster randomized controlled trial

Ann M Davis  1 , Marilyn Sampilo  2 , Katherine Steiger Gallagher  3 , Kelsey Dean  4 , M Baby Saroja  5 , Qing Yu  6 , Jianghua He  6 , Nora Sporn  7
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Treating rural paediatric obesity through telemedicine vs. telephone: Outcomes from a cluster randomized controlled trial

Ann M Davis et al. J Telemed Telecare. 2016 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the current study was to examine the feasibility of telemedicine vs. telephone for the delivery of a multidisciplinary weekly family-based behavioural group intervention to treat paediatric obesity delivered to families living in rural areas using a randomized controlled trial methodology.

Methods: 103 rural children and their families were recruited. Feasibility measures included participant satisfaction, session attendance and retention. Treatment outcome measures included child Body Mass Index z-score (BMIz), parent BMI, 24-hour dietary recalls, accelerometer data, the child behavior checklist and the behavioral pediatrics feeding assessment scale.

Results: Participants were highly satisfied with the intervention both via telemedicine and via telephone. Completion rates were much higher than for other paediatric obesity intervention programmes, and both methodologies were highly feasible. There were no differences in telemedicine and telephone groups on primary outcomes.

Conclusion: Both telemedicine and telephone intervention appear to be feasible and acceptable methods of delivering paediatric obesity treatment to rural children.

Keywords: Obesity; randomized controlled trial; weight management.

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