title: Feasibility of a Friendship Network-Based Pediatric Obesity Intervention.
abstract: There is growing evidence supporting social network-based interventions for adolescents with obesity. This study's aim was to determine the feasibility of a social network-based intervention by assessing adolescents' friendship networks, willingness to involve friends in treatment, and how these factors influence enjoyment.
  
  
  
  Adolescents (N = 42) were recruited from a tertiary care obesity clinic. Participants gave a list of closest friends, friendship characteristics, and which of their friends they would involve in treatment. A subset (N = 14) participated in group treatment, were encouraged to bring friends, and invited to a second interview.
  
  
  
  Participants nominated a mean of 4.0 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.6) friends and were more likely to nominate closer friends (p = 0.003). Friends who attended group sessions were more likely to have multiple friendships in common with the participant's own network (p = 0.04).
  
  
  
  Involving friends in treatment is feasible and desired by adolescents and may be a novel approach for augmenting obesity treatment outcomes.
authors: 1 Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity , Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.|2 College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati, OH.
authors: Courtney M
authors: CM
authors: Giannini
authors: 3 Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC.|4 Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC.
authors: Megan B
authors: MB
authors: Irby
authors: 1 Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity , Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.|3 Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC.|5 Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC.
authors: Joseph A
authors: JA
authors: Skelton
authors: 1 Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity , Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.|6 Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC.
authors: Sabina B
authors: SB
authors: Gesell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D005006:Ethnicity; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: friendship networks; obesity; pediatrics; social networks; treatment; weight management