title: Adherence to behavioral targets and treatment attendance during a pediatric weight control trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Better weight loss outcomes are achieved in adults and youth who adhere to obesity treatment regimens (i.e., session attendance and prescribed changes in weight control behaviors). However, more research is needed regarding children's adherence to a range of behaviors relevant for weight maintenance over long-term follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overweight children (N = 101, aged 7-12 years), along with an overweight parent, participated in a 20-week family-based behavioral weight loss treatment (FBT) and were then assigned to either a behaviorally focused or socially focused 16-week weight maintenance treatment (MT). Treatment attendance and child and parent adherence (i.e., reported use of skills targeted within treatment) were examined in relation to child percent overweight change from baseline to post-FBT, post-MT, and 2-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher attendance predicted better child weight outcomes at post-MT, but not at 2-year follow-up. Adherence to self-regulatory skills/goal-setting skills predicted child weight outcomes at 2-year follow-up among the behaviorally focused MT group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future research is needed to examine mediators of change within family-based weight control interventions, including behavioral and socially based targets. Incorporating self-regulatory weight maintenance skills into a comprehensive MT may maximize children's sustained weight control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Kelly R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Theim
authors.forename: Meghan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sinton
authors.forename: Andrea B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Goldschmidt
authors.forename: Dorothy J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Van Buren
authors.forename: Angela C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: Brian E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Saelens
authors.forename: Richard I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Leonard H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Denise E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wilfley
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy; D010290:Parents; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012944:Social Support; D015431:Weight Loss