Background and objective: The aim was assessing a short training for healthcare providers on patient-focused counselling to treat childhood obesity in primary care, along with dietitian-led workshops and educational materials.
Methods: Randomized clustered trial conducted with paediatrician-nurse pairs (Basic Care Units [BCU]) in primary care centres from Tarragona (Spain). BCUs were randomized to intervention (MI) (motivational interview, dietitian-led education, and educational materials) or control group (SC, standard care). Participants were 8-14-year-old children with obesity, undergoing 1-11 monthly treatment visits during 1 year at primary care centres. The primary outcome was BMI z-score reduction.
Results: The study included 44 clusters (23 MI). Out of 303 allocated children, 201 (n = 106 MI) completed baseline, final visits, and at least one treatment visit and were included in the analysis. BMI z-score reduction was -0.27 (±0.31) in SC, versus -0.36 (±0.35) in MI (p = 0.036). Mixed models with centres as random effects showed greater reductions in BMI in MI than SC; differences were B = -0.11 (95% CI: -0.20, -0.01, p = 0.025) for BMI z-score, and B = -2.06 (95% CI: -3.89, -0.23, p = 0.028) for BMI %. No severe adverse events related to the study were notified.
Conclusion: Training primary care professionals on motivational interviewing supported by dietitians and educational materials, enhanced the efficacy of childhood obesity therapy.
Keywords: adolescents; childhood obesity; children; clinical trial; motivational interview; paediatric obesity; primary care.
© 2024 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of World Obesity Federation.