Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2012 Mar;129(3):e611-20.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-0863. Epub 2012 Feb 13.

A primary care-based, multicomponent lifestyle intervention for overweight adolescent females

Lynn L DeBar  1 , Victor J Stevens, Nancy Perrin, Philip Wu, John Pearson, Bobbi Jo Yarborough, John Dickerson, Frances Lynch
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A primary care-based, multicomponent lifestyle intervention for overweight adolescent females

Lynn L DeBar et al. Pediatrics. 2012 Mar.

Abstract

Background and objective: Most clinic-based weight control treatments for youth have been designed for preadolescent children by using family-based care. However, as adolescents become more autonomous and less motivated by parental influence, this strategy may be less appropriate. This study evaluated a primary care-based, multicomponent lifestyle intervention specifically tailored for overweight adolescent females.

Methods: Adolescent girls (N = 208) 12 to 17 years of age (mean ± SD: 14.1 ± 1.4 years), with a mean ± SD BMI percentile of 97.09 ± 2.27, were assigned randomly to the intervention or usual care control group. The gender and developmentally tailored intervention included a focus on adoptable healthy lifestyle behaviors and was reinforced by ongoing feedback from the teen's primary care physician. Of those randomized, 195 (94%) completed the 6-month posttreatment assessment, and 173 (83%) completed the 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome was reduction in BMI z score.

Results: The decrease in BMI z score over time was significantly greater for intervention participants compared with usual care participants (-0.15 in BMI z score among intervention participants compared with -0.08 among usual care participants; P = .012). The 2 groups did not differ in secondary metabolic or psychosocial outcomes. Compared with usual care, intervention participants reported less reduction in frequency of family meals and less fast-food intake.

Conclusions: A 5-month, medium-intensity, primary care-based, multicomponent behavioral intervention was associated with significant and sustained decreases in BMI z scores among obese adolescent girls compared with those receiving usual care.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01068236.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Study design and participant flow.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Change over time in BMI z scores.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Lamb MM, Flegal KM. Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents, 2007-2008. JAMA. 2010;303(3):242–249 - PubMed
    1. Cook S, Weitzman M, Auinger P, Nguyen M, Dietz WH. Prevalence of a metabolic syndrome phenotype in adolescents: findings from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157(8):821–827 - PubMed
    1. Mossberg HO. 40-Year follow-up of overweight children. Lancet. 1989;2(8661):491–493 - PubMed
    1. Must A, Jacques PF, Dallal GE, Bajema CJ, Dietz WH. Long-term morbidity and mortality of overweight adolescents. A follow-up of the Harvard Growth Study of 1922 to 1935. N Engl J Med. 1992;327(19):1350–1355 - PubMed
    1. Srinivasan SR, Bao W, Wattigney WA, Berenson GS. Adolescent overweight is associated with adult overweight and related multiple cardiovascular risk factors: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Metabolism. 1996;45(2):235–240 - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Associated data