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Low-intensity family therapy intervention is useful in a clinical setting to treat obese and extremely obese children

Nowicka, Paulina LU ; Pietrobelli, A and Flodmark, Carl-Erik LU (2007) In International Journal of Pediatric Obesity 2(4). p.211-217
Abstract
Aims. To study the influence of low-intensity solution-focused family therapy with obese and extremely obese pediatric subjects on body mass index (BMI) z-scores and self-esteem. Materials and Methods. Fifty-four obese children, aged 6-17 years, were referred to an outpatient obesity clinic. The families received solution-focused family therapy provided by a multidisciplinary team. Height and weight were recorded; BMI and BMI z-scores were derived. Self-esteem was assessed with a validated questionnaire, "I Think I Am." Parents completed "The Family Climate Scale" assessing family dynamics. Results. Eighty-one percent of the children (n=44, mean age 11.9 years, mean BMI z-score 3.67, range 2.46-5.48) and their parents participated in the... (More)
Aims. To study the influence of low-intensity solution-focused family therapy with obese and extremely obese pediatric subjects on body mass index (BMI) z-scores and self-esteem. Materials and Methods. Fifty-four obese children, aged 6-17 years, were referred to an outpatient obesity clinic. The families received solution-focused family therapy provided by a multidisciplinary team. Height and weight were recorded; BMI and BMI z-scores were derived. Self-esteem was assessed with a validated questionnaire, "I Think I Am." Parents completed "The Family Climate Scale" assessing family dynamics. Results. Eighty-one percent of the children (n=44, mean age 11.9 years, mean BMI z-score 3.67, range 2.46-5.48) and their parents participated in the follow-up. Eleven children were treated for 6-12 months, and 33 for more than 12 months. On average, the families received 3.8 family therapy sessions. Intervention resulted in a mean decrease in BMI z-score of 0.12 (p=0.0001). Self-esteem on the global scale improved after intervention (p=0.002), and also on sub-scales, depicting physical characteristics (p<0.001), psychological well-being (p=0.026), and relations with others (p=0.046). The Family Climate Scale showed improvement in the sub-scales for Expressiveness (p=0.002) and Chaos (p=0.002). Conclusions. Solution-focused family therapy provided by a multidisciplinary team to obese and extremely obese children may prove useful in the clinical setting, with a positive impact on obesity and self-esteem. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
childhood obesity, self-esteem, family dynamics, family therapy, BMI z-score
in
International Journal of Pediatric Obesity
volume
2
issue
4
pages
211 - 217
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000251645300003
  • scopus:36348978540
ISSN
1747-7174
DOI
10.1080/17477160701379810
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cda09765-788a-46c7-971b-0654fb3d73c2 (old id 1143304)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=17852553
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:01:18
date last changed
2022-03-13 03:55:45
@article{cda09765-788a-46c7-971b-0654fb3d73c2,
  abstract     = {{Aims. To study the influence of low-intensity solution-focused family therapy with obese and extremely obese pediatric subjects on body mass index (BMI) z-scores and self-esteem. Materials and Methods. Fifty-four obese children, aged 6-17 years, were referred to an outpatient obesity clinic. The families received solution-focused family therapy provided by a multidisciplinary team. Height and weight were recorded; BMI and BMI z-scores were derived. Self-esteem was assessed with a validated questionnaire, "I Think I Am." Parents completed "The Family Climate Scale" assessing family dynamics. Results. Eighty-one percent of the children (n=44, mean age 11.9 years, mean BMI z-score 3.67, range 2.46-5.48) and their parents participated in the follow-up. Eleven children were treated for 6-12 months, and 33 for more than 12 months. On average, the families received 3.8 family therapy sessions. Intervention resulted in a mean decrease in BMI z-score of 0.12 (p=0.0001). Self-esteem on the global scale improved after intervention (p=0.002), and also on sub-scales, depicting physical characteristics (p&lt;0.001), psychological well-being (p=0.026), and relations with others (p=0.046). The Family Climate Scale showed improvement in the sub-scales for Expressiveness (p=0.002) and Chaos (p=0.002). Conclusions. Solution-focused family therapy provided by a multidisciplinary team to obese and extremely obese children may prove useful in the clinical setting, with a positive impact on obesity and self-esteem.}},
  author       = {{Nowicka, Paulina and Pietrobelli, A and Flodmark, Carl-Erik}},
  issn         = {{1747-7174}},
  keywords     = {{childhood obesity; self-esteem; family dynamics; family therapy; BMI z-score}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{211--217}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Pediatric Obesity}},
  title        = {{Low-intensity family therapy intervention is useful in a clinical setting to treat obese and extremely obese children}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17477160701379810}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/17477160701379810}},
  volume       = {{2}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}