title: Case management via telephone counseling and SMS for weight maintenance in adolescent obesity: study concept of the TeAM program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In-patient obesity treatment programs for adolescents are associated with good success and substantial weight loss. However, maintaining weight loss remains a challenge. This article presents the concept of the TeAM (Telephone counseling as Adiposity Management) program. TeAM is an innovative, weight maintenance program for obese adolescents after in-patient therapy. It applies the case management approach in combination with new media (telephone counseling, web forum, and SMS messaging). Adolescents (14-18 years) were recruited via German rehabilitation hospitals. The intervention of the TeAM program consists of telephone counseling through trained case managers in order to maintain body weight reduction (expressed as BMI-SDS: body mass index standard deviation score) achieved during an in-patient obesity therapy. At baseline and after completion of the program, participants provide anthropometric measures (obtained by trained medical staff) as well as information on socio-demographics, usage of health services, psychosocial status, daily physical activity, media consumption, and eating behavior. The core of the intervention is regular telephone contact with the adolescent participants combined with tailored SMS messages. Telephone counseling is based on the systemic approach and addresses the topics of mental hygiene, physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet and eating behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline data of the feasibility study: Thirty-eight adolescents were recruited for the feasibility study (14 male, 24 female; mean age 15.82 years); out of them, ten participants lived with a single parent; 68% planned to graduate from school without pre-requisites for university admission (O-level). The mean weight loss during in-patient treatment was 0.32 BMI-SDS units. Mean BMI at the start of intervention was 31.93 kg/m(2), corresponding to a mean BMI-SDS of 2.48.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weight maintenance treatment programs for adolescent obesity utilizing new media are a promising approach as they reach adolescents directly within their everyday life.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  DRKS00004583.
authors.affiliation: Leipzig University Medical Center, IFB Adiposity Diseases, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 27, Leipzig, D-04103 Germany.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Markert
authors.affiliation: Leipzig University Medical Center, IFB Adiposity Diseases, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 27, Leipzig, D-04103 Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herget
authors.affiliation: Leipzig University Medical Center, IFB Adiposity Diseases, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 27, Leipzig, D-04103 Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marschke
authors.affiliation: Leipzig University Medical Center, IFB Adiposity Diseases, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 27, Leipzig, D-04103 Germany ; Department for Medical Sociology and Health Economics, Hamburg Center for Health Economics (HCHE), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, Hamburg, D-20246 Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lehnert
authors.affiliation: German statutory pension insurance, Department North, Medical Rehabilitation Hospital "Satteldüne", Tanenwai 32, Nebel/Amrum, D-25946 Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Falkenberg
authors.affiliation: Leipzig University Medical Center, IFB Adiposity Diseases, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 27, Leipzig, D-04103 Germany.
authors.forename: Susann
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blüher
keywords: Adolescence; Case management; Obesity; Rehabilitation research; Systemic counseling; Tailored short messages; TeAM program; Telephone counseling; Weight maintenance