Funding outcome

Childhood obesity is an urgent public health issue. Up to one-third of Canadian children have excess weight, putting them at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, bone and joint problems, and some forms of cancer. Because current treatments have modest success, there is a need to reconsider how weight management is offered to children with obesity and their families. Our study was designed to meet this need by examining how motivation among youth, parents, and families influences pediatric weight management. Our team will conduct a study with 13 to 17 years old (and their parents) with obesity who are enrolled in multidisciplinary weight management clinics at children's hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary. Using a novel interview designed to measure motivation to change lifestyle habits, we will interview youth and parents separately (250 families in total), asking them questions about their motivation to change diet and physical activity habits. We will also measure a number of factors related to weight management, including diet, physical activity, weight change, and psychosocial health. We will administer our motivational interview to families as well as measure other outcomes at 0- (baseline; when families first enroll in the clinics), 6-, and 12-months. These measurements will allow us to test if the information we collect during our motivational interview predicts whether youth with obesity improve their weight status, lifestyle habits, and psychosocial health over the following year. Our research has clinical value. If the data we collect from our interview can predict changes in health outcomes over time, then it could be included as a part of clinicians' baseline assessment when families enroll in a weight management program. If our motivational interview is able to predict those families who do well in treatment and those who do poorly (or drop out), our motivational interview can be used by clinicians to customize their counseling to best meet the readiness, willingness, and abilities of families. A one-size-fits-all approach is not effective for pediatric weight management, so our research represents an important step in establishing a menu of treatment options that can be tailored for families in order to optimize outcomes and satisfaction with care.