Obesity, Overweight
Conditions
Keywords
School Nurse, Overweight, Obesity, Counseling, Intervention, Exercise
Brief summary
Adolescent overweight and obesity have increased dramatically in the past several decades. High schools are well-positioned to deliver weight loss treatment to overweight and obese adolescents, as they have the facilities and staff to deliver a physical activity program, school nurses with the skills to provide counseling, and are easily accessible by adolescents. This exploratory study will test the feasibility and ability of a school-based intervention, consisting of school nurse counseling and a school-based exercise program, to reduce BMI and improve dietary quality, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors in overweight and obese adolescents. If effective, this could prove to be a cost-effective and relatively easy intervention to disseminate widely for significant public health impact.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALLookin' Good Feelin' Good
Six 30-minute individual student-centered counseling sessions delivered by school nurses during the first two months followed by weekly weigh-ins and monthly visits over the subsequent 6 months, plus an exercise program in the school 3 times a week for the full eight months of the intervention.
BEHAVIORALInformation attention-control
Six individual sessions with school nurse over the first two months followed by monthly visits over the remaining 6 months to check weight and behavior changes and provide a series of pamphlets on weight and weight management.
Sponsors
University of Massachusetts, Worcester
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
13 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* enrolled in grades 9 - 12 * BMI \> 85th percentile for age/sex * able to understand and participate in the study * able and willing to provide informed assent (adolescent) and consent (parent) * English-speaking with at least one English-speaking parent
Exclusion criteria
* planning to move out of the area within the next 8 months * medical condition that precludes adherence to study dietary recommendations (e.g., pregnancy, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) * diagnosis of a serious psychiatric illness (e.g., psychiatric hospitalization, eating disorder, suicidal) within the past 5 years * genetic or endocrine causes of obesity (e.g., pradi Willi, Cushing's Syndrome) * developmental delay that would prevent participation in the intervention or measurements * prescribed medications associated with weight gain (e.g.,oral steroids) * morbidly obese, defined as weighing \> 300 pounds
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | One academic year (8 months) | Lookin Good Feelin Good (LGFG) program participants will achieve greater reduction in BMI z-scores than Information attention control (IC) participants after one academic year (8 months) of intervention |
| Participation in exercise program | One academic year (8 months) | LGFG participants will report greater than 90% adherence to intervention protocol by school nurses on Patient Exit Interview (PEI) checklists following each of the 6 visits and will attend at least 75% of the exercise sessions. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Self-management | One academic year (8 months) | LGFG participants will report greater improvements in dietary quality, physical activity and sedentary behavior than IC participants at 8 month follow-up, as measured by 24-hour dietary recall (24HDR), accelerometers, and measures of specific diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviors targeted by the intervention. Improvements will mediate the relationship between condition and BMI. |
| Physiologic outcomes | One academic year (8 months) | To evaluate the effect of the LGFG compared to IC condition on changes in secondary physiologic outcomes, including waist circumference, estimate of body fat, and blood pressure. |
| Psychosocial outcomes | One academic year (8 months) | To evaluate the effect of the LGFG compared to the IC condition on changes in psychosocial outcomes including self-efficacy, quality of life, and depression. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed