Journal
OBESITY
Volume 18, Issue -, Pages S62-S68Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1038/oby.2009.433
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- National Institute for Health Research
- Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd.
- Bromley Mytime
- Bromley Primary Care Trust (PCT)
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust
- London Borough of Lewisham
- MEND Central Ltd.
- New Cross Gate New Deal for Communities
- Parkwood Leisure
- Southwark PCT
- The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust
- UCL Institute of Child Health
- Waveney PCT
- MRC
- Medical Research Council [G0700961, G0700349, G0400546B, G0400546] Funding Source: researchfish
- MRC [G0400546, G0700961, G0700349] Funding Source: UKRI
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it (MEND) Program, a multicomponent community-based childhood obesity intervention (www.mendcentral.org). One hundred and sixteen obese children (BMI >= 98th percentile, UK 1990 reference data) were randomly assigned to intervention or waiting list control (6-month delayed intervention). Parents and children attended eighteen 2-h group educational and physical activity sessions held twice weekly in sports centers and schools, followed by a 12-week free family swimming pass. Waist circumference, BMI, body composition, physical activity level, sedentary activities, cardiovascular fitness, and self- esteem were assessed at baseline and at 6 months. Children were followed up 12 months from baseline (0 and 6 months postintervention for the control and intervention group, respectively). Participants in the intervention group had a reduced waist circumference z-score (-0.37; P < 0.0001) and BMI z-score (-0.24; P < 0.0001) at 6 months when compared to the controls. Significant between-group differences were also observed in cardiovascular fitness, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and self-esteem. Mean attendance for the MEND Program was 86%. At 12 months, children in the intervention group had reduced their waist and BMI z-scores by 0.47 (P < 0.0001) and 0.23 (P < 0.0001), respectively, and benefits in cardiovascular fitness, physical activity levels, and self-esteem were sustained. High-attendance rates suggest that families found this intensive community-based intervention acceptable. Further larger controlled trials are currently underway to confirm the promising findings of this initial trial.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available