Camp-based family treatment of childhood obesity: randomised controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effectiveness of a 2-year camp-based family treatment programme and an outpatient programme on obesity in two generations.


METHODS
Pragmatic randomised controlled trial.


METHODS
Rehabilitation clinic, tertiary care hospital and primary care.


METHODS
Families with at least one child (7-12 years) and one parent with obesity.


METHODS
Summer camp for 2 weeks and 4 repetition weekends or lifestyle school including 4 days family education.Behavioural techniques motivating participants to healthier lifestyle.


METHODS
Children: 2-year changes in body mass index (BMI) SD score (SDS). Parents: 2-year change in BMI. Main analyses: linear mixed models.


RESULTS
Ninety children (50% girls) were included. Baseline mean (SD) age was 9.7 (1.2) years, BMI 28.7 (3.9) kg/m2and BMI SDS 3.46 (0.75). The summer-camp children had a lower adjusted estimated mean (95% CI) increase in BMI (-0.8 (-3.5 to -0.2) kg/m2), but the BMI SDS reductions did not differ significantly (-0.11 (-0.49 to 0.05)). The 2-year baseline adjusted BMI and BMI SDS did not differ significantly between summer-camp and lifestyle-school completers, BMI 29.8 (29.1 to 30.6) vs 30.7 (29.8 to 31.6) kg/m2and BMI SDS 2.96 (2.85 to 3.08) vs 3.11 (2.97 to 3.24), respectively. The summer-camp parents had a small reduction in BMI (-0.9 (-1.8 to -0.03) vs -0.8 (-2.1 to 0.4) in the lifestyle-school group), but the within-group changes did not differ significantly (0.3 (-1.7 to 2.2)).


CONCLUSIONS
A 2-year family camp-based obesity treatment programme had no significant effect on BMI SDS in children with severe obesity compared with an outpatient family-based treatment programme.


BACKGROUND
NCT01110096.
Department of Medicine, The Morbid Obesity Centre (MOC), Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Beate
B
Benestad
Department of Medicine, The Morbid Obesity Centre (MOC), Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway.
Samira
S
Lekhal
Department of Medicine, The Morbid Obesity Centre (MOC), Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway.|Oslo and Akershus University College, Faculty of Social Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
Milada Cvancarova
MC
Småstuen
Department of Medicine, The Morbid Obesity Centre (MOC), Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway.
Jens Kristoffer
JK
Hertel
Department of Public Health and General Practice, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.|St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
Vidar
V
Halsteinli
St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Rønnaug Astri
RA
Ødegård
Department of Medicine, The Morbid Obesity Centre (MOC), Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway.|Department of Endocrinology, Morbid Obesity and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Jøran
J
Hjelmesæth
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002165:Camping; D002648:Child; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D000070497:Healthy Lifestyle; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Family-based treatment; Metabolic; Obesity; RCT