Psychosocial variables predicting success of weight loss interventions

January 01, 0001

Psychosocial variables predicting success of weight loss interventions

Childhood obesity is a growing problem around the globe. Many interventions for youth obesity involve the entire family. These German researchers examined whether family adversity, maternal depression, and attachment insecurity were predictors of success in weight loss interventions in children. They enrolled 111 families with children aged 7-15 who were overweight to obese (mean BMI 29). The enrollees received in a best-practice lifestyle intervention over the course of a year. A longitudinal analysis was performed with assessments at baseline, conclusion, and 1-year follow-up.

The researchers found: "Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that long-term success (at least 5% weight reduction by the 1-year follow-up) versus failure (dropping out or less weight reduction) was significantly predicted by the set of psychosocial variables (family adversity, maternal depression, and attachment insecurity) when we controlled for familial obesity, preintervention overweight, age, and gender of the index child and parental educational level. Maternal depression proved to be the best predictor. Maintenance of weight reduction between the conclusion of the program and the 1-year-follow-up was also predicted by the set of psychosocial variables. Maternal insecure-anxious attachment attitudes best predicted this criterion."

The researchers concluded: "Although cross-validation is required, our results are the first evidence for proximal and distal family characteristics linked to long-term weight-reduction outcomes. The results suggest a need to create tailored intervention modules that address the difficulties of these families."

This study identifies several psychosocial factors that may make weight loss more difficult in children and highlights the importance of the broader psychosocial setting to childhood obesity

For the full abstract, click here.

Pediatrics 128(4):e779-e785, 1 October 2011 © 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics
Conditions of Long-term Success in a Lifestyle Intervention for Overweight and Obese Youths. Georg Fröhlich, Wilfried Pott, Özgür Albayrak, Johannes Hebebrand, Ursula Pauli-Pott.

Category: A. General/Unspecified. Keywords: obesity, childhood, maternal depression, attachment, weight loss, prospective study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 18 October 2011

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