Effects of a psychological intervention on the quality of life of obese adolescents under a multidisciplinary treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of multidisciplinary treatment with and without psychological counseling on obese adolescents' self-reported quality of life.


METHODS
Seventy-six obese adolescents (15.87±1.53 y) were allocated into psychological counseling group (PCG; n=36) or control group (CG; n=40) for 12 weeks. All participants received the same supervised exercise training, nutritional and clinical counseling. Participants in PCG also received psychological counseling. QOL was measured before and after 12 weeks of intervention by Generic Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Quality of Life (SF-36).


RESULTS
The dropout rate was higher in GC (22.5%) when compared with PCG (0.0%) (p<0.001). After 12 weeks, participants from PCG presents lower body weight, relative fat mass and higher free fat mass (p<0.001 for all) compared to GC. QOL improved among adolescents from both groups (p<0.05), however, a better QOL was reported from those adolescents enrolled in PCG.


CONCLUSIONS
The inclusion of a psychological counseling component in multidisciplinary treatment for adolescent obesity appears to provide benefits observed for improved QOL as compared with treatment without psychological counseling.
Universidade de Pernambuco, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação de Física, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Camila R M
CR
Freitas
University of Akureyri, Akureyri, Iceland.
Thrudur
T
Gunnarsdottir
Universidade de Pernambuco, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação de Física, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Yara L
YL
Fidelix
Universidade de Pernambuco, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação de Física, Recife, PE, Brazil; Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sertão Pernambucano, Serra Talhada, PE, Brazil.
Thiago R S
TR
Tenório
Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Psicologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Mara C
MC
Lofrano-Prado
University of Colorado, Anschutz Center for Health & Wellness, Denver, United States.
James O
JO
Hill
Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Departamento de Ciências do Movimento Humano, Santos, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: wagner.prado@pq.cnpq.br.
Wagner L
WL
Prado
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Aconselhamento psicológico; Adolescentes obesos; Intervenção multidisciplinar; Multidisciplinary intervention; Obese adolescents; Psychological counseling