Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Obesity Weight Loss |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Endocrinology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 11 - 16 |
| Updated: | 10/4/2018 |
| Start Date: | July 2012 |
| End Date: | December 2018 |
| Contact: | Dawn K Wilson, PhD |
| Email: | wilsondk@mailbox.sc.edu |
| Phone: | 803-450-0FIT |
The increasing rate of obesity has become a major public health concern with national reports
indicating 40% of African American adolescents are now overweight/obese. Little is known
about effective weight loss interventions in ethnic minority adolescents. However, research
has shown that ethnic minorities attend fewer intervention sessions, have higher attrition
rates and lose less weight compared to Caucasians. Two fundamental problems related to this
lack of progress are 1) lack of appropriate content of weight loss interventions for African
American adolescents that integrate cultural issues, parenting skills, and motivational
strategies for long-term change and, 2) poor dose of weight loss interventions because of
participant fatigue and drop out. While previous weight loss studies for adolescents have
been long lasting (12-25 weeks), our team developed a weight loss program that is a
relatively brief (8-week) face-to-face intervention that integrates motivational
(autonomy-support) and positive parenting skills (monitoring, social support, positive
communication skills) for reducing z-BMI in overweight African American adolescents. Our team
recently conducted a pilot study testing the feasibility of an 8-week on-line culturally
tailored intervention, Thus, the goal of this project is to conduct a randomized controlled
efficacy trial to address the problems with past studies by 1) making the face-to-face group
intervention shorter, 2) using an on-line component to compliment the group-based
intervention for increasing dose, and by 3) tailoring a motivational and parenting skills
program directly to parents and adolescents skill levels and cultural background. 520
overweight African American adolescents and their parents will be recruited to participate.
Phase I of the trial will test the efficacy of an 8-week face-to-face group randomized trial
comparing motivational plus family-based weight loss (M+FWL) to a basic health (BH) education
program on reducing z-BMI and improving diet and physical activity (PA) in overweight African
American adolescents. In phase II of the trial participants will be re-randomized to either
an 8-week on-line intervention or a control on-line program resulting in a 2 (M+FWL vs. BH
group) x 2 (intervention vs. control on-line program) factorial design. A 6-month follow-up
will examine whether adolescents in the 8-week M+FWL group plus 8-week on-line intervention
program will show the greatest maintenance in reducing z-BMI.
indicating 40% of African American adolescents are now overweight/obese. Little is known
about effective weight loss interventions in ethnic minority adolescents. However, research
has shown that ethnic minorities attend fewer intervention sessions, have higher attrition
rates and lose less weight compared to Caucasians. Two fundamental problems related to this
lack of progress are 1) lack of appropriate content of weight loss interventions for African
American adolescents that integrate cultural issues, parenting skills, and motivational
strategies for long-term change and, 2) poor dose of weight loss interventions because of
participant fatigue and drop out. While previous weight loss studies for adolescents have
been long lasting (12-25 weeks), our team developed a weight loss program that is a
relatively brief (8-week) face-to-face intervention that integrates motivational
(autonomy-support) and positive parenting skills (monitoring, social support, positive
communication skills) for reducing z-BMI in overweight African American adolescents. Our team
recently conducted a pilot study testing the feasibility of an 8-week on-line culturally
tailored intervention, Thus, the goal of this project is to conduct a randomized controlled
efficacy trial to address the problems with past studies by 1) making the face-to-face group
intervention shorter, 2) using an on-line component to compliment the group-based
intervention for increasing dose, and by 3) tailoring a motivational and parenting skills
program directly to parents and adolescents skill levels and cultural background. 520
overweight African American adolescents and their parents will be recruited to participate.
Phase I of the trial will test the efficacy of an 8-week face-to-face group randomized trial
comparing motivational plus family-based weight loss (M+FWL) to a basic health (BH) education
program on reducing z-BMI and improving diet and physical activity (PA) in overweight African
American adolescents. In phase II of the trial participants will be re-randomized to either
an 8-week on-line intervention or a control on-line program resulting in a 2 (M+FWL vs. BH
group) x 2 (intervention vs. control on-line program) factorial design. A 6-month follow-up
will examine whether adolescents in the 8-week M+FWL group plus 8-week on-line intervention
program will show the greatest maintenance in reducing z-BMI.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Must have a parent or primary caregiver who lives in the same house as the adolescent
- Live within 60 miles of the program's office
- Have at least 3 grandparents who are African American
- Access to the internet
- Children between the ages of 11 and 16
- Child must have BMI above 85th percentile and below 99th percentile
- Have no medical condition that would limit participation in moderate intensity
exercise including life-threatening illness (e.g., immobile, severely disabled, or bed
ridden)
- Available and able to participate in measures and intervention activities over the
next year
Exclusion Criteria:
- Adolescents with chronic illness
- Adolescents who require a specialized diet may not be eligible
- Developmental delay
- Partaking currently in another weight loss program
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