To describe treatment outcomes of children and adolescents enrolled in the Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry, a consortium of multicomponent pediatric weight management programs in the US.
...This multicenter prospective observational cohort study, established in 2013, includes youth (2-18 years of age) with obesity enrolled from 31 Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry (POWER) sites over a 2-year period and followed up to 12 months. Weight status was evaluated by the percentage of the 95th percentile for body mass index (%BMIp95). Associations of weight status outcomes with patient characteristics and program exposure were analyzed with multivariable mixed effects modeling.
We included 6454 children and adolescents (median age, 11 years; IQR, 9-14 years; 53% white, 32% Hispanic; 73% with severe obesity) who were enrolled in POWER. Median changes in %BMIp95 for this cohort were −1.88 (IQR, −5.8 to 1.4), −2.50 (IQR, −7.4 to 1.8), −2.86 (IQR, −8.7 to 1.9), at 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 of months follow-up, respectively (all P < .05). Older age (≥12 years), greater severity of obesity, and Hispanic race/ethnicity were associated with better improvement in %BMIp95. A 5-percentage point decrease in %BMIp95 was associated with improvement in cardiometabolic risk factors.
Overall, treatment in pediatric weight management programs is associated with a modest median decrease in BMI as measured by change in %BMIp95. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, as well as to identify additional strategies to enhance the effectiveness of these multicomponent interventions for youth with severe obesity.
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02121132.
Childhood obesity continues to be a national health problem, with growing numbers of adolescents (8.7%) affected by severe obesity and its associated cardiometabolic risks. Since current nonsurgical ...methods for treating these adolescents have only modest effects, weight loss surgery (WLS) is an alternative treatment. An overview of the literature was conducted describing the selection, management, and outcomes of adolescents undergoing WLS. Adolescent guidelines require physical and emotional maturity as well as serious comorbidities associated with body mass index cutoffs higher than those used for adults. Medium-term to long-term outcomes are similar to those of adults undergoing WLS. Such outcomes depend on management by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in caring for adolescents who are still developing psychosocially and who are relatively more dependent on family supports for continued care. Future exploration is needed to elucidate optimal surgical indications for adolescents, improved adherence to postoperative care, and the impact of WLS on life expectancy. Resulting evidence can better inform the direction for healthcare delivery and policy directed toward this at-risk population.
Summary
Background
Research has shown children disproportionately gain excess weight over the summer months (vs. school months), with stronger effects for children with obesity. However, the question ...has not been investigated among children receiving care in paediatric weight management (PWM) programs.
Objective
To test for seasonal variability in weight change among youth with obesity in PWM care enrolled in the Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry (POWER).
Method
Longitudinal evaluation of a prospective cohort from 2014 to 2019 among youth in 31 PWM programs. Change in percentage of the 95th percentile for BMI (%BMIp95) was compared by quarter.
Results
Participants (N = 6816) were primarily ages 6–11 (48%), female (54%), 40% non‐Hispanic White, 26% Hispanic and 17% Black, and 73% had severe obesity. Children were enrolled on average 424.9 ± 401.5 days. Participants reduced their %BMIp95 every season, but compared with Quarter 3 (July–September), reductions were significantly greater in Q1 (Jan‐March, b = −0.27, 95%CI −0.46, −0.09), Q2 (April–June, b = −0.21, CI −0.40, −0.03), and Q4 (October–December, b = −0.44, CI −0.63, −0.26).
Conclusion and Relevance
Across 31 clinics nationwide, children reduced their %BMIp95 every season, but reductions were significantly smaller during the summer quarter. While PWM successfully mitigated excess weight gain during every period, summer remains a high‐priority time.
Paediatric weight management (PWM) programs in the United States (US) face challenges in providing sustainable multidisciplinary care for patients. The aim of this study was to report PWM program ...approaches to sustaining program delivery. A survey of 39 PWM programs was administered to identify challenges and solutions to program sustainability. Common and useful strategies for optimizing reimbursement for services included the use of applicable reimbursable diagnostic codes and management, billing for assessments and non-medical personnel services, and the use of hospital outpatient department clinic billing. Increasing clinical breadth and capacity was achieved by offering telemedicine and other services, such as psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and metabolic and bariatric surgery, as well as active management of schedules. Securing institutional and extramural funding was also reported. One of the positive changes during the pandemic was the fast adoption of telemedicine services. Although delivering sustainable evidence-based multidisciplinary PWM under the current US payment models has its challenges, PWM programs implement practical operational strategies to support this work.
As many medical school curricula shift to integrated learning of multiple basic science topics as well as clinical concepts, there is an increasing need for instructional materials that incorporate ...multiple topics yet are targeted to the knowledge basis of first-year medical students. This interactive case-based session for first-year medical students centers on the clinical presentation and initial evaluation of a patient experiencing dehydration after running a marathon in a high-altitude city.
After completion of assigned out-of-class preparation, students followed the patient from a healthy state to moderate dehydration over the course of two 2-hour class sessions. Throughout discussion of the case, students answered questions requiring them to integrate elements of cell biology, biochemistry, physiology, and clinical reasoning with minimal faculty involvement. The learning activity was administered at University of Illinois College of Medicine campuses in both a small-group setting (10 students, one faculty facilitator) and a large-group format (55-90 students, multiple faculty facilitators). Following the activity, we assessed student perceptions of the design and implementation of the materials as well as effectiveness at meeting the learning goals.
Of 198 students who participated in the case discussions on dehydration, the majority rated the case positively, indicated by a rating of good or excellent.
This multidisciplinary case on dehydration can be used early in medical education to introduce students to clinical scenarios while learning fundamental science content. An integrated approach to medical content and versatility with regard to class size make this case a valuable teaching tool.
Prior studies show seven percent to nine percent of children demonstrate gaming behaviors that affect a child's ability to function (e.g., problem gaming), but none have examined the association ...between problem gaming and weight status. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of problem gaming among children enrolled in tertiary weight management programs. We administered a computer-based survey to a convenience sample of children aged 11-17 years enrolled in five geographically diverse pediatric weight management (PWM) programs in the COMPASS (Childhood Obesity Multi-Program Analysis and Study System) network. The survey included demographics, gaming characteristics, and a problem gaming assessment. The survey had 454 respondents representing a diverse cohort (53 percent females, 27 percent black, 24 percent Hispanic, 41 percent white) with mean age of 13.7 years. A total of 8.2 percent of respondents met criteria for problem gaming. Problem gamers were more likely to be white, male, play mature-rated games, and report daily play. Children in PWM programs reported problem gaming at the same rate as other pediatric populations. Screening for problem gaming provides an opportunity for pediatricians to address gaming behaviors that may affect the health of children with obesity who already are at risk for worsened health and quality of life.
The prevalence of severe obesity and electronic game use among youth has increased over time.
We administered a survey assessing gaming and psycho-demographic characteristics to youth aged 11-17 ...attending five weight management programs. We conducted chi-square and logistic regression analyses to describe the association between class 3 severe obesity and gaming characteristics.
Four hundred twelve youth (51% female, 26% Black, 25% Hispanic, 43% White, and 44% with class 3 severe obesity) completed the survey. There was a stepwise relationship between time spent gaming and class 3 severe obesity, with 28% of those playing 2 to <4 hours a day, 48% of those playing 4 to <6 hours a day, and 56% of those playing ≥6 hours a day having class 3 severe obesity (p = 0.002). Compared to youth without class 3 severe obesity, youth with class 3 severe obesity were more likely to have a TV in the bedroom (76% vs. 63%, p = 0.004) and play games on a console (39% vs. 27%, p = 0.03) and were less likely to report parental limit setting on type of games played (7% vs. 16%, p = 0.006). Youth who played games ≥4 hours a day were 1.94 times (95% confidence interval 1.27-3.00) more likely to have class 3 severe obesity than those who played <4 hours a day, after adjustment for demographic, behavioral, and academic variables.
Our study demonstrates a clear association between gaming characteristics, especially time spent gaming, and severe obesity in youth. Further research testing family-based interventions that target gaming behaviors in youth are needed.
To evaluate the effectiveness and sustainable impact of a multifaceted community-based weight intervention program for children, including exergaming curriculum.
Eighty overweight or obese children, ...aged 8-12 years, were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to an Exergaming for Health intervention group, comprising both exergaming and classroom curriculum, or to a control group with classroom curriculum alone. Outcome measures included body mass index (BMI), z-score change, and shuttle runs to assess cardiorespiratory endurance.
Fifty-nine participants took part in the intervention and 21 in the control group, with 35 and 13 completing 6-month follow-up, respectively. Twenty-eight intervention children were followed-up at 1 year. At the end of the 6-month intervention, the intervention group reduced its BMI z-score by -0.06 (±0.12) compared to 0 (±0.09) change for the control group; additionally, intervention subjects were two shuttle runs higher than control. However, these differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.07 and P = 0.09, respectively). Over the 6-month period after the program, the intervention group did not have an increase in weight status (BMI z-score change -0.01 95% confidence interval -0.08 to +0.06, P = 0.76).
Use of exergaming in community pediatric weight management did not improve weight status at the end of programming, and study implementation was limited by small sample and missing data. However, there were clinically promising trends in fitness, screen time, and caloric intake. Weight status of intervention participants did not rebound 6 months after programming. Larger, longer term studies are needed to establish the impact of videogaming interventions.
Childhood obesity continues to be a critical healthcare issue and a paradigm of a pervasive chronic disease affecting even our youngest children. When considered within the context of the ...socioecological model, the factors that influence weight status, including the social determinants of health, limit the impact of multidisciplinary care that occurs solely within the medical setting. Coordinated care that incorporates communication between the healthcare and community sectors is necessary to more effectively prevent and treat obesity. In this article, the Expert Exchange authors, with input from providers convened at an international pediatric meeting, provide recommendations to address this critical issue. These recommendations draw upon examples from the management of other chronic conditions that might be applied to the treatment of obesity, such as the use of care plans and health assessment forms to allow weight management specialists and community personnel (e.g., school counselors) to communicate about treatment recommendations and responses. To facilitate communication across the healthcare and community sectors, practical considerations regarding the development and/or evaluation of communication tools are presented. In addition, the use of technology to enhance healthcare-community communication is explored as a means to decrease the barriers to collaboration and to create a web of connection between the community and healthcare providers that promote wellness and a healthy weight status.
Recommendations to screen and counsel for lifestyle behaviors can be challenging to implement during well-child visits in the primary care setting. A practice intervention was piloted using the ...Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) Screening Tool paired with a motivational interviewing (MI)-based counseling tool during well-child visits. Acceptability and feasibility of this intervention were assessed. Its impact on parent-reported obesigenic behavior change and provider efficacy in lifestyle counseling were also examined.
This was an observational study in a pediatric primary care office. During well-child visits of 100 patients (ages 4-16 years), the FNPA tool was implemented and providers counseled patients in an MI-consistent manner based on its results. Duration of implementation, patient satisfaction of the intervention, and success of stated lifestyle goals were measured. Provider self-efficacy and acceptability were also surveyed.
The FNPA assessment was efficient to administer, requiring minutes to complete and score. Patient acceptability was high, ranging from 4.0 to 4.8 on a 5-point scale. Provider acceptability was good, with the exception of duration of counseling; self-efficacy in assessing patient "readiness for change" was improved. Parent-reported success of primary lifestyle goal was 68% at 1 month and 46% at 6 months.
The FNPA assessment with an MI-based counseling tool shows promise as an approach to identify and address obesigenic behaviors during pediatric well-child visits. It has the potential to improve provider efficacy in obesity prevention and also influence patient health behaviors, which can possibly impact childhood excessive weight gain. After refinement, this practice intervention will be used in a larger trial.
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