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Four-year follow-up of children and adolescents participating in an obesity intervention program

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Abstract

Background:

Since obesity affects children's health and social integration, treatment concepts with long-term efficiency are necessary.

Methods:

We analyzed changes of standard deviation score of body mass index (SDS-BMI) quarterly in the first year and once a year during the next 3 years in all obese children participating in the 1-year outpatient intervention program ‘Obeldicks’, which was based on physical exercise, nutrition education and behavior therapy. All analyses were performed on the intention-to-treat approach.

Results:

One hundred and thirty-one children (77%) of the 170 children (mean age 10.5 years, 51% female, mean BMI 26.9 kg/m2, mean SDS-BMI 2.54) attending the ‘Obeldicks’ intervention program reduced their overweight at the end of intervention (mean SDS-BMI reduction 0.41) and 122 (66%) 3 years after end of intervention (mean SDS-BMI reduction 0.48). The reduction of overweight was independent of the child's gender, age and parental age and BMI. Reduction of 0.33 SDS-BMI in the first 3 months was the best predictor for long-term success (95% predictive value).

Conclusions:

Participating in the 1-year outpatient obesity intervention program ‘Obeldicks’ was associated with a decrease of overweight, which was sustained 3 years after the end of intervention. Reduction of overweight in the first 3 months of the intervention was highly predictive for long-term success.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Vestische Kinderklinik Datteln, University of Witten-Herdecke, Witten-Herdecke, Germany

    T Reinehr, M Temmesfeld & G de Sousa

  2. Research Institute of Child Nutrition Dortmund, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    M Kersting

  3. Division of Epidemiology, Institute of Social Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany

    A M Toschke

  4. Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London, London, UK

    A M Toschke

Authors
  1. T Reinehr
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  2. M Temmesfeld
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  3. M Kersting
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  4. G de Sousa
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  5. A M Toschke
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T Reinehr.

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Reinehr, T., Temmesfeld, M., Kersting, M. et al. Four-year follow-up of children and adolescents participating in an obesity intervention program. Int J Obes 31, 1074–1077 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803637

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803637

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