The relationship between parent and child self-reported adherence and weight loss.
OBJECTIVE
Better adherence to treatment strategies in family-based behavioral weight control programs may lead to greater weight reduction and improved weight maintenance in youth. This study assessed the influence of child and parent self-reported adherence to behavioral strategies on changes in 2-year child and parent percentage overweight.


METHODS
Participants included 8- to 12-year-old children in >or= 85th BMI percentile and their parents from 110 families taking part in two family-based randomized controlled weight control studies. This study examined whether self-reported adherence to behavioral strategies measured at 24 months increased prediction of child and parent percentage overweight change through 24-month follow-up after accounting for other factors that may influence weight change.


RESULTS
Child adherence to weighing and to preplanning for celebrations where high-fat foods are served and parent adherence to praising the child and modeling healthy eating habits predicted 24-month child percentage overweight change (p<0.001). Child adherence to recording food and calories and parent adherence to modeling healthy eating habits predicted 24-month parent percentage overweight change (p<0.001). In hierarchical regression models, child weighing and preplanning and parent modeling were significant (p<0.01) incremental predictors (r2 of 24.8%) of 24-month child percentage overweight. Child recording and parent modeling were significant (p<0.01) incremental predictors (r2 of 14%) of parent 24-month percentage overweight change.


CONCLUSIONS
Child and parent adherence to specific components of family-based behavioral weight control treatment are independent predictors of long-term child and parent percentage overweight change.
Wrotniak
Brian H
BH
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Farber Hall, Room G56, 3435 Main Street, Building 26, Buffalo, New York 14214-3000, USA.
Epstein
Leonard H
LH
Paluch
Rocco A
RA
Roemmich
James N
JN
D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009679:Nuclear Family; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012923:Social Class; D015431:Weight Loss