Our Lifestyles Our Lives

Our Lifestyles, Our Lives: Obesity Treatment and Physical Activity Promotion for Underserved Children and Adolescents

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of step goals with pedometers to improve children's weight loss, physical activity, and psychosocial health during behavioral treatment. Children with overweight or obesity were assigned to receive the behavioral treatment alone, plus pedometers, or plus pedometers with step goals.

A total of 105 overweight and obese children ages 8 to 17 years participated in a 10-week family-based weight management intervention focusing on physical activity, nutrition, and behavioral modification. A quasi-experimental design was used to group cohorts into three conditions: two cohorts had no pedometer (n=24); two cohorts had pedometer only (n=25); and four cohorts had pedometer with step goals (i.e. 500 steps/day weekly increase above baseline; n=56). Height and weight were measured at baseline and week 10 and used to calculate body mass index (BMI). Analysis of covariance was performed to examine difference by condition for change in weight, BMI, and BMI z-score, controlling for age and baseline value. Differences in steps/day and psychosocial health were compared between the two pedometer conditions.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 8-17 years old
• BMI ≥ 95th percentile or have a BMI ≥ 85th percentile with comorbidities (e.g. hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, sleep apnea, orthopedic problems, or fatty liver disease)

Exclusion Criteria:

• None.