Treatment of obesity in children: Parent's perceived emotional barriers as predictor of change in body fat

Silje Steinsbekk; Rønnaug Odegård; Lars Wichstrøm

doi:10.1016/j.orcp.2011.03.001

Treatment of obesity in children: Parent's perceived emotional barriers as predictor of change in body fat

Obes Res Clin Pract. 2011 Jul-Sep;5(3):e169-266. doi: 10.1016/j.orcp.2011.03.001.

Authors

Silje Steinsbekk¹, Rønnaug Odegård², Lars Wichstrøm³

Affiliations

¹ Dept. of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, St. Olavs Hospital, Olav Kyrres gt 17, 7030 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address:silje.steinsbekk@svt.ntnu.no.
² Dept. of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, 7433 Trondheim, Norway.
³ Dept. of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Dragvoll, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.

PMID: 24331105
DOI: 10.1016/j.orcp.2011.03.001

Abstract

Aim: Research supports the use of family-based interventions in the treatment of obesity in children, but there is a lack of knowledge about what factors affect parents' ability to carry out the lifestyle changes necessary to reduce their child's obesity. The aim of the present study was to examine whether parents' self-efficacy, perceived emotional barriers, subjective norms, and attitudes could predict change in their children's body fat at 6 month and 2 year follow-ups after a family-based treatment of obesity.

Methods: Body Mass Index Standard Deviation Scores (BMI SDS) were calculated and body fat (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were measured in 99 treatment-seeking children with obesity (ages 7-12; 48 girls, 51 boys; mean BMI SDS = 2.99) at baseline, after 6 month and after 2 year follow-up. Parental cognitions regarding diet and physical activity were examined by parent-completed questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test whether the selected health cognitions could predict treatment outcome.

Results: Parental perceived emotional barriers was a significant predictor of change in body fat at 6 month (β = -.32, p = .001) and 2 year (β = -.38, p = .002) follow-up when the initial body fat values were controlled. Self-efficacy, subjective norms and attitudes did not improve the amount of variance explained.

Conclusion: Parents' perceived emotional barriers significantly predict change in total body fat in children treated for obesity. In order to increase treatment-efficacy, perceived emotional barriers should be addressed.