Behavioral Interventions for Weight Management in Overweight and Obese Adolescents: A Comparison Between a Motivation-based Educational Program and Conventional Dietary Counseling

Parisa Amiri; Sara Jalali-Farahani; Maryam Zarkesh; Safoora Gharibzadeh; Mehdi Hedayati; Fereidoun Azizi

doi:10.5812/ijem.88192

Behavioral Interventions for Weight Management in Overweight and Obese Adolescents: A Comparison Between a Motivation-based Educational Program and Conventional Dietary Counseling

Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Feb 1;18(1):e88192. doi: 10.5812/ijem.88192. eCollection 2020 Jan.

Authors

Parisa Amiri¹, Sara Jalali-Farahani¹, Maryam Zarkesh², Safoora Gharibzadeh³, Mehdi Hedayati², Fereidoun Azizi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Research Center for Social Determinants of Health, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² Cellular and Molecular Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
³ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of a three-month motivation-based educational program and conventional dietary counseling on body composition and relevant outcomes among overweight and Obese adolescents.

Methods: A total of 115 overweight and obese adolescents (46% boys) were randomly assigned to either a motivation-based program or a conventional dietary counseling. The assessments were conducted at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months after intervention.

Results: Mean age and body mass index (BMI) Z-score were 14.5 ± 1.2 and 2.42 ± 0.62, respectively. Considering time trend analysis, the two groups achieved significant improvements in BMI Z-score, wrist and waist circumferences, body composition indices, and HRQoL total scores after a one-year follow-up. Wrist circumference and the HRQoL reported by parents revealed significant differences between the study groups in favor of the motivation-based program.

Conclusions: Although both programs could improve anthropometric indices and HRQoL over time, the motivation-based program was more effective in reducing adolescents' wrist circumference and improving HRQoL, as the parents reported.

Keywords: Adolescents; Behavioral Intervention; Motivation; Overweight and Obesity; Weight Management.