title: Effectiveness of a Hospital-Based Multidisciplinary Pediatric Weight Management Program: Two-Year Outcomes of PHIT Kids.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  For children with obesity, long-term sustainability of weight loss after treatment is difficult to achieve. This study examined 2-year anthropometric outcomes of a moderately intensive group behaviorally based weight management program.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred seventy-three children with obesity ages 8-18 years participated with their parent or adult caregiver in a 24-week multicomponent intervention, which was followed by monthly sessions for a total of 2 years. Children were considered treatment completers if they attended ≥50% of the 24 weekly sessions. A multilevel model (multiple assessment time points nested within participants) was used to test person-level change in BMI z-score (BMIz) for program completers between (1) pre- and post-treatment, (2) pretreatment and 24-month follow-up, (3) post-treatment and 12-month follow-up, and (4) post-treatment and 24-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twenty-four (72%) of the participants completed the 24-week intervention. Significant reductions in BMIz were observed over the course of treatment (β = -0.03; standard error [SE] = 0.004; t = -6.85; p < 0.001). Completers showed a significant reduction in BMIz between initiation of treatment and 2-year follow-up (n = 110 at 24 weeks; n = 38 at 24 months; β = -0.02; SE = 0.005; t = -4.12; p < 0.001). Children did not show any significant changes in BMIz between post-treatment and 24-month follow-up (β = -0.006; SE = 0.011; t = -0.61; p = 0.54), suggesting that treatment effects were maintained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children maintained treatment gains achieved during a 24-week family-based behavioral weight management program at 2-year follow-up. Although these findings suggest that gains are sustainable, further research is needed to understand how these long-term changes impact child health.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospital , Kansas City, MO.|2 Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition , Kansas City, MO.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hampl
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Clinical Child Psychology, University of Kansas , Lawrence, KS.
authors.forename: Cathleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Odar Stough
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Clinical Child Psychology, University of Kansas , Lawrence, KS.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Poppert Cordts
authors.affiliation: 4 Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY.
authors.forename: Cora
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Best
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Health Outcomes and Policy, University of Florida College of Medicine , Gainesville, FL.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blackburn
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospital , Kansas City, MO.|2 Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition , Kansas City, MO.
authors.forename: Meredith L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dreyer Gillette
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D037001:Directive Counseling; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs