Targeting Pediatric Obesity via a Healthy Lifestyle Summer Camp Intervention: How Necessary Is a Parenting Component?

The Healthy Lifestyle Clinic (HLC) is an interdisciplinary weight management clinic conceived to address alarming rates of pediatric obesity and related comorbidities in the midsouth region of the United States. The clinical cohort presented is a subset of the 609 patients evaluated during the first 2 years of the HLC and comprises 380 patients with a minimum of 6 months of follow-up. The primarily non-Hispanic black (67.1%) cohort presented with severe obesity ( MzBMI = 2.52 ± 0.41) and particularly high rates of insulin resistance, among other comorbidities. This article offers insight into the challenges of intervening with a cohort of youth and their families, many with limited resources to support intensive behavioral and lifestyle changes. Our experiences implementing a weight management clinic with a diverse clinical cohort provide guidance for emerging programs and impetus to investigate environmental and cultural factors that contribute to high attrition in the treatment of pediatric obesity.

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Forever-Fit Summer Camp: The Impact of a 6-Week Summer Healthy Lifestyle Day Camp on Anthropometric, Cardiovascular, and Physical Fitness Measures in Youth With Obesity

Journal of Primary Care & Community Health ◽

10.1177/2150132720903888 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

pp. 215013272090388

Author(s):

Hala K. El Mikati ◽

Anthony O. Boateng ◽

Brett M. McKinney ◽

Katie Haberlin-Pittz ◽

Julie Pike ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Body Mass ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Summer Camp ◽

Low Cost ◽

Health Concern ◽

Lifestyle Modifications ◽

The Impact

Pediatric obesity is a public health concern with lifestyle intervention as the first-line treatment. Forever-Fit Summer Camp (FFSC) is a 6-week summer day program offering physical activity, nutrition education, and well-balanced meals to youth at low cost. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of this program that does not emphasize weight loss rather emphasizes healthy behaviors on body mass index, cardiovascular and physical fitness. Methods: The inclusion criteria were adolescents between 8 and 12 years and body mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile. The data were collected at baseline and week 6 (wk-6) and was analyzed for 2013-2018 using paired-sample t tests. Results: The participants’ (N = 179) average age was 10.6 ± 1.6 years with a majority of females (71%) and black race/ethnicity (70%). At wk-6, BMI and waist circumference decreased by 0.8 ± 0.7 kg/m2 and 1.0 ± 1.3 in, respectively. Resting heart rate, diastolic and systolic blood pressure decreased by 8.5 ± 11.0 bpm, 6.3 ± 8.8 mmHg, and 6.4 ± 10.1 mmHg, respectively. The number of pushups, curl-ups, and chair squats were higher by 5.8 ± 7.5, 6.7 ± 9.1, and 7.7 ± 8.5, respectively. Conclusion: The FFSC is efficacious for improving BMI, cardiovascular, and physical fitness in the short term. The effect of similar episodic efforts that implement healthy lifestyle modifications throughout the school year should be investigated.

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FitKids360: Design, Conduct, and Outcomes of a Stage 2 Pediatric Obesity Program

Journal of Obesity ◽

10.1155/2014/370403 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jared M. Tucker ◽

Joey C. Eisenmann ◽

Kathleen Howard ◽

Emily H. Guseman ◽

Kimbo E. Yee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

High Risk ◽

Screen Time ◽

Pediatric Obesity ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Low Cost ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Management Program ◽

Dietary Behaviors ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors

This paper describes FitKids360, a stage 2 pediatric weight management program. FitKids360 is a physician-referred, multicomponent, low-cost healthy lifestyle program for overweight and obese youth 5–16 years of age and their families. FitKids360 provides an evidence-based approach to the treatment of pediatric overweight by targeting patients’ physical activity, screen time, and dietary behaviors using a family-centered approach. The intervention begins with a two-hour orientation and assessment period followed by six weekly sessions. Assessments include lifestyle behaviors, anthropometry, and the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) survey, which screens for obesogenic risk factors in the home environment. Outcomes are presented from 258 patients who completed one of 33 FitKids360 classes. After completing FitKids360, patients increased moderate to vigorous physical activity by 14 minutes (P=0.019), reduced screen time by 44 minutes (P<0.001), and improved key dietary behaviors. Overall, FNPA scores increased by 9% (P<0.001) and 69% of patients with “high risk” FNPA scores at baseline dropped below the “high risk” range by followup. Patients also lowered BMIs (P=0.011) and age- and sex-adjusted BMIz-scores (P<0.001) after completing the 7-week program. We hope this report will be useful to medical and public health professionals seeking to develop stage 2 pediatric obesity programs.

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A rationale for the use of anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analysis as efficacy criteria for summer camp healthcare

Bulletin of Russian State Medical University ◽

10.24075/brsmu.2019.024 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 89-95 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

MYu Gavryushin ◽

OV Sazonova ◽

DO Gorbachev ◽

LM Borodina ◽

OV Frolova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Summer Camp ◽

Bioelectrical Impedance ◽

Impedance Analysis ◽

Anthropometric Measurements ◽

Summer Camps ◽

Wide Range ◽

Efficacy Criteria

The proportion of obese and overweight children is alarmingly high. This dictates the need for promoting healthy lifestyle and eating habits in children. Summer camps provide a wide range of activities to improve children’s health. However, methods used to assess children’s nutritional status during a camp session need to be analyzed in depth, and a rationale should be provided for the use of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometric measurements as efficacy criteria for summer camp healthcare. We examined 125 boys and 221 girls aged 8–15 years spending their summer holidays at 3 different camps. Measurements were taken twice: on days 1 and 2 upon arrival to a camp and 2 days before leaving for home. In each camp, both positive and negative health weight dynamics were observed. The overall weight dynamics in children from camps 1 and 2 were statistically insignificant (p = 0.415 and p = 0.585), in contrast to camp 3 where those changes were significant (p = 0.025). BIA revealed that less than 44.34% of children had gained skeletal muscle mass during their stay at the camp, whereas weight loss was associated with both decreased fat and skeletal muscle masses. BIA confirms the results of anthropometric measurements and also provides information about the diet offered to children and their level of physical activity. Therefore, the use of anthropometric measurements and BIA could be an informative method for assessing the efficacy of healthcare in summer camps.

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Childhood Asthma in a Pediatric Obesity Group: Effect of Weight Loss, Exercise, and Healthy Lifestyle

CHEST Journal ◽

10.1378/chest.10784 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 138 (4) ◽

pp. 306A

Author(s):

Catherine Kier ◽

Simone Forde ◽

Catherine Messina ◽

Peter Morelli ◽

Kevin Kuriakose ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Childhood Asthma ◽

Pediatric Obesity ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Group Effect

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Coaching, Health, and Movement Program (CHAMPS) Taught by Medical Students: A Didactic Curriculum and Program Analysis

Osteopathic Family Physician ◽

10.33181/1141 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 12-17

Author(s):

Julia Ronecker ◽

Joseph Liu ◽

Anne VanGarsse ◽

Ramon Newman

Keyword(s):

Medical Student ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Program Analysis ◽

Pediatric Obesity ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

The United States ◽

School Curriculum ◽

Didactic Curriculum

Purpose: The prevalence of pediatric obesity is increasing in the United States. While physicians are in a unique position to address pediatric obesity, nutrition education and counseling is insufficiently addressed in medical school curriculums. To fill this gap, one Midwest medical school piloted CHAMPS (Coaching, Health, and Movement Program with Students), a program where medical students learn about pediatric obesity and nutrition and coach families toward healthier lifestyle goals. Method: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 7-hour didactic curriculum and looked at changes in medical student knowledge, bias, and mentorship skills. The cohort included 35 first- and second-year medical students who completed a pre-test and two post-tests—one post-test after the didactic training and one after the 6-8 week coaching program with a family. Results: After both the didactic curriculum and coaching sessions, medical students demonstrated statistically significant improvement in knowledge and mentorship skills with regards to pediatric obesity and nutrition. Medical students also reported feeling more confident in answering questions and coaching families on healthy lifestyle choices. Medical student bias was unchanged after our intervention. Conclusion: The CHAMPS program represents a promising experience for medical students and fills a gap in the traditional medical school curriculum.

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Healthy Lifestyle Management of Pediatric Obesity with a Hybrid System of Customized Mobile Technology: The PediaFit Pilot Project

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13020631 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 631

Author(s):

Anna Pia Delli Bovi ◽

Giorgia Manco Cesari ◽

Maria Chiara Rocco ◽

Laura Di Michele ◽

Ida Rimauro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mobile Technology ◽

Pediatric Obesity ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Pilot Project ◽

Drop Out ◽

High Rate ◽

Control Group ◽

Total N

Pediatric obesity management strategies suffer from a high rate of dropout and persistence of weight excess, despite the use of new tools, such as automated mobile technology (MT). We aimed to compare the efficacy of two 6-month personalized MT protocols in terms of better engagement, adherence to follow-up visits and improved anthropometric and lifestyle parameters. MT contacts consisted of three personalized/not automated What’s App® self-monitoring or challenge messages per week. Messages, sent by a dedicated coach were inserted between three-monthly in-presence regular visits with (PediaFit 1.2) or without (PediaFit 1.1) monthly free-of charge short recall visits carried out by a specialized pediatric team. The sample included 103 children (mean age 10 years, range 6–14) recruited in the Pediatric Obesity Clinic between January 2017 and February 2019, randomized into Intervention group (IG) (n = 24 PediaFit 1.1; n = 30 PediaFit 1.2) and Control group (CG) (total n = 49). Controls received standard treatment only (indications for healthy nutrition and physical activity, and three months in presence regular visits). Overall, both IGs achieved significantly better results than the CGs for all considered parameters. Comparison of the two IGs at the sixth month in particular showed an IG 1.2 statistically significantly lower drop-out rate (10% vs. 62%, p = 0.00009), along with significantly improved BMI (p = 0.003), Screen Time (p = 0.04) and fruit and vegetables consumption (p = 0.02). The study suggests that the hybrid association of messaging through personalized/not automated MT plus monthly free-of charge recall visits may improve the prefixed outcomes of MT weight loss intervention programs.

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