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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Jan;31(1):203-213.
doi: 10.1002/oby.23627. Epub 2022 Dec 10.

Real-world effectiveness of the Bright Bodies healthy lifestyle intervention for childhood obesity

Stephanie L Samuels  1 , Pamela Hu  1 , Kaitlin R Maciejewski  2 , Fangyong Li  2 , James Dziura  2 , Mary Savoye  1 , Mona Sharifi  3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Real-world effectiveness of the Bright Bodies healthy lifestyle intervention for childhood obesity

Stephanie L Samuels et al. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the extent to which Bright Bodies, a high-intensity, family-based pediatric weight management intervention, improved BMI for participants since publication of the randomized controlled trial establishing efficacy in 2007 and to describe adaptations to the program.

Methods: For participants enrolled from 2008 to 2018, linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate monthly change in BMI expressed as percentage of the 95th percentile (%BMIp95) during participants' first beginner-level program.

Results: The sample included 396 youth individuals (mean age: 11.7 [SD 2.8] years, 61.6% female, 37.1% non-Hispanic Black, 26.3% Hispanic or Latino, 53.8% with public insurance, 80.1% with severe obesity). Across the 11 years, participants' %BMIp95 reduced on average by 1.63% (95% CI: 1.44%-1.82%) per month during their first program (mean duration: 10 weeks) after adjusting for age, sex, season and year, starting %BMIp95, race and ethnicity, and insurance category. Greater reduction in %BMIp95 was associated with male versus female sex, spring/fall versus winter seasons, enrollment in 2008 to 2018 versus 2015 to 2018, and higher starting %BMIp95 (p value for all <0.001). Adaptations since 2007 included pragmatic changes to increase engagement and address funding shortages.

Conclusions: These results suggest sustained clinical effectiveness of Bright Bodies in the context of real-world adaptations.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Monthly change in percentage of body mass index (BMI) at the 95th percentile (%BMIp95) for participants during their first Bright Bodies program, adjusted for age group, sex, year/season of first session, starting %BMIp95, race/ethnicity, and insurance type. †: p-value type-3 omnibus test ‡: Slopes of categories were estimated using average baseline %BMIp95 of participants in each category; Interpretation for the effect of baseline % BMI percent of 95%: For each additional unit increase in baseline % BMI percent of 95% we expect a decrease (improvement) of 0.012, (95% CI −0.018, −0.007) in % BMI percent of 95% per month
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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