School Nurse Intervention and After School Exercise Program for Overweight Teens

School Nurse Intervention and After School Exercise Program for Overweight Teens

Adolescent overweight and obesity have increased dramatically in the past several decades. High schools are well-positioned to deliver weight loss treatment to overweight and obese adolescents, as they have the facilities and staff to deliver a physical activity program, school nurses with the skills to provide counseling, and are easily accessible by adolescents. This exploratory study will test the feasibility and ability of a school-based intervention, consisting of school nurse counseling and a school-based exercise program, to reduce BMI and improve dietary quality, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors in overweight and obese adolescents. If effective, this could prove to be a cost-effective and relatively easy intervention to disseminate widely for significant public health impact.

Inclusion Criteria:

• enrolled in grades 9 - 12
• BMI > 85th percentile for age/sex
• able to understand and participate in the study
• able and willing to provide informed assent (adolescent) and consent (parent)
• English-speaking with at least one English-speaking parent

Exclusion Criteria:

• planning to move out of the area within the next 8 months
• medical condition that precludes adherence to study dietary recommendations (e.g., pregnancy, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis)
• diagnosis of a serious psychiatric illness (e.g., psychiatric hospitalization, eating disorder, suicidal) within the past 5 years
• genetic or endocrine causes of obesity (e.g., pradi Willi, Cushing's Syndrome)
• developmental delay that would prevent participation in the intervention or measurements
• prescribed medications associated with weight gain (e.g.,oral steroids)
• morbidly obese, defined as weighing > 300 pounds