A parent-led family-focused treatment program for overweight children aged 5 to 9 years: the PEACH RCT.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a healthy lifestyle intervention to reduce adiposity in children aged 5 to 9 years and assess whether adding parenting skills training would enhance this effect.


METHODS
We conducted a single-blinded randomized controlled trial of prepubertal moderately obese (International Obesity Task Force cut points) children, aged 5 to 9 years. The 6-month program targeted parents as the agents of change for implementing family lifestyle changes. Only parents attended group sessions. We measured BMI and waist z scores and parenting constructs at baseline, 6, 12, 18, 24 months.


RESULTS
Participants (n = 169; 56% girls) were randomized to a parenting skills plus healthy lifestyle group (n = 85) or a healthy lifestyle-only group (n = 84). At final 24-month assessment 52 and 54 children remained in the parenting skills plus healthy lifestyle and the healthy lifestyle-only groups respectively. There were reductions (P < .001) in BMI z score (0.26 [95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.30]) and waist z score (0.33 [95% confidence interval: 0.26-0.40]). There was a 10% reduction in z scores from baseline to 6 months that was maintained to 24 months with no additional intervention. Overall, there was no significant group effect. A similar pattern of initial improvement followed by stability was observed for parenting outcomes and no group effect.


CONCLUSIONS
Using approaches that specifically target parent behavior, relative weight loss of ∼10% is achievable in moderately obese prepubertal children and can be maintained for 2 years from baseline. These results justify an investment in treatment as an effective secondary obesity-prevention strategy.
epartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. anthea.magarey@flinders.edu.au
Anthea M
AM
Magarey
Rebecca A
RA
Perry
Louise A
LA
Baur
Katharine S
KS
Steinbeck
Michael
M
Sawyer
Andrew P
AP
Hills
Gizelle
G
Wilson
Anthea
A
Lee
Lynne A
LA
Daniels
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome