Overweight children and adolescents--is there a subjective need for treatment?
OBJECTIVE
We report on the first months of recruitment for a study to evaluate outpatient training for moderately overweight youths.


METHODS
Various recruitment strategies were employed, including media exposure, paediatricians, school events, and the distribution of flyers. Roughly 6 160 overweight and 4 720 obese children and adolescents of the target age range were estimated to live in the study area.


RESULTS
Altogether, 172 families enrolled for participation. Only 38 enrolled children (22.1%), however, were overweight and thereby eligible for participation, 132 children (76.7%) were obese and two were normal weight. Most eligible participants were recruited via media or paediatricians.


CONCLUSIONS
Reaching overweight, but not obese, children and adolescents for intervention is difficult, where a low recognition of the condition in its less extreme form might be a particular problem.
Finne
Emily
E
Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP), University of Bremen, P.O. Box 330 440, D-28334, Bremen, Germany. efinne@uni-bremen.de
Reinehr
Thomas
T
Schaefer
Anke
A
Winkel
Katrin
K
Kolip
Petra
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018579:Patient Selection; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic