Schedule:
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Columbia A/B (Hyatt Regency Washington)
* noted as presenting author
C. Barr Taylor, MD, Professor, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Susan Sawyer, MD, Director, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
Karly Cini, M Clin Epi, Project Manager, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
Helena Romaniuk, PhD, Biostatistician, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
Katherine Taylor-Lynch, DPsych, Post doctoral researcher, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Background: The burden of disease associated with unhealthy weight gain at both the individual and health system levels is increasing. It is imperative that evidence based interventions that reduce the prevalence and incidence of unhealthy weight gain are implemented at developmental stages when they are most likely to be effective. Adolescence is a critical period when weight gain can occur and currently more than 25% of Australian adolescents are overweight or obese. It is impossible to deliver face-to-face services to all the young people who need support with weight management, but with internet access becoming virtually universal, effective online interventions have the potential to significantly impact on this major public health problem. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of the online Staying Fit program in overweight adolescents from Melbourne, Australia.
Methods: Between April 2012 and September 2013, 194 overweight adolescents (12-17 years) were recruited from the community and randomised to receive the Staying Fit program or usual care. The Staying Fit online intervention uses a cognitive-behavioral approach; has 12 sessions which include nutrition, physical activity and body image modules; and offers support in a private and non-stigmatizing way. The usual care group received pamphlets with nutrition and physical activity advice. Questionnaires addressing eating behaviours, depression, quality of life and substance use were completed and height, weight and body composition data were measured at baseline and post-program (3-months). 6- months and 12-months.
Results: Over one year both groups improved but the intervention group had a significant reduction in percent body fat (-2.4, p=0.03) which was not evident in the usual care group and the intervention group has a significantly greater reduction in BMI z-score (p=0.03). There was no change in the prevalence of depression or eating disorder prevalence between or within groups.
Conclusions: Reductions in BMI z-score of the magnitude found in this study significantly improve cardiometabolic risk factors. Staying Fit is inexpensive to administer and could easily be delivered to all overweight young people who wanted weight loss support.
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