title: Short-term outcomes of community-based adolescent weight management: The Loozit® Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Loozit(®) Study is a randomised controlled trial investigating extended support in a 24 month community-based weight management program for overweight to moderately obese, but otherwise healthy, 13 to 16 year olds.
  
  
  METHODS
  This pre-post study examines the two month outcomes of the initial Loozit(®) group intervention received by both study arms. Adolescents (n = 151; 48% male) and their parents separately attended seven weekly group sessions focused on lifestyle modification. At baseline and two months, adolescents' anthropometry, blood pressure, and fasted blood sample were assessed. Primary outcomes were two month changes in body mass index (BMI) z-score and waist-to-height-ratio (WHtR). Secondary outcomes included changes in metabolic profile, self-reported dietary intake/patterns, physical and sedentary activities, psychological characteristics and social status. Changes in outcome measures were assessed using paired samples t-tests for continuous variables or McNemar's test for dichotomous categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 151 adolescents who enrolled, 130 (86%) completed the two month program. Among these 130 adolescents (47% male), there was a statistically significant (P < 0.01) reduction in mean [95% CI] BMI (0.27 kg/m2 [0.41, 0.13]), BMI z-score (0.05 [0.06, 0.03]), WHtR (0.02 [0.03, 0.01]), total cholesterol (0.14 mmol/L [0.24, 0.05]) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.12 mmol/L [0.21, 0.04]). There were improvements in all psychological measures, the majority of the dietary intake measures, and some physical activities (P < 0.05). Time spent watching TV and participating in non-screen sedentary activities decreased (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Loozit(®) program may be a promising option for stabilizing overweight and improving various metabolic factors, psychological functioning and lifestyle behaviors in overweight adolescents in a community setting.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials RegistryACTRNO12606000175572.
authors.affiliation: University of Sydney Clinical School, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Vanessa A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Shrewsbury
authors.forename: Binh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Katharine S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Steinbeck
authors.forename: Anthea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Smita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kohn
authors.forename: Siranda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torvaldsen
authors.forename: Louise A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Baur
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003151:Community Health Centers; D003153:Community Health Services; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012649:Self Concept; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol