Effects of an obesity intervention program on cognitive function in children: A randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
Adiposity may be associated with poorer cognitive function in children. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of an obesity intervention on cognitive function in children.


METHODS
One hundred and fifteen children were randomly allocated to either the Day Camp Intervention Arm (DCIA) or the Standard Intervention Arm (SIA). Children in the DCIA participated in a 6-week day camp intervention and a subsequent 46-week family-based intervention. The camp intervention mainly consisted of physical exercise and health classes. The SIA was offered one weekly physical exercise session for 6 weeks and one educational meeting. Anthropometrics and cognitive function were measured at baseline, 6 weeks, and 52 weeks.


RESULTS
At 6 weeks, the improvement in visuospatial construction skills was larger in the DCIA than the SIA (standardized mean difference, 0.47, 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.86, P = 0.02). At 52 weeks, the improvements in emotional control (standardized mean difference, -0.42, 95% CI, -0.68 to -0.16, P = 0.002) and monitoring (standardized mean difference, -0.32, 95% CI, -0.63 to -0.02, P = 0.04) were larger in the DCIA than the SIA. No group differences were observed in changes in other cognitive outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
The obesity intervention may benefit emotional control, monitoring, and visuospatial construction skills in children.
Centre of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Tao
T
Huang
Centre of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Kristian Traberg
KT
Larsen
Centre for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research at the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatric Hospital Centre Glostrup, Glostrup, Denmark.|Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services Capital Region of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jens Richardt Møllegaard
JR
Jepsen
Centre of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Niels Christian
NC
Møller
Centre of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Anne Kaer
AK
Thorsen
Department of Public Health and Centre for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Erik Lykke
EL
Mortensen
Centre of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.|Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
Lars Bo
LB
Andersen
D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*