Dietary Intake and Eating Behaviours of Obese New Zealand Children and Adolescents Enrolled in a Community-Based Intervention Programme

Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative study

Background

Obesity is increasingly a public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, including Malawi where 36% of women have body mass index in overweight/obese categories in urban areas. Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs are associated with body size, but have not been studied in-depth in sub-Saharan African countries. This study therefore, explored eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of women in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Methods

This was a descriptive ancillary qualitative study utilising in-depth interviews with 27 women (13 in normal weight range and 14 in overweight/obesity ranges) puporsively selected in Lilongwe City, Malawi from October to November 2017. The concept of data saturation guided data collection, and it was reached with the 27 interviewed participants when there was no new information coming from the participants. All interviews were conducted in the local language, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. The transcripts were analysed manually using thematic content analysis.

Results

Majority of participants perceived overweight as an indication of good health such that with food affordability, women deliberately gain weight to demonstrate their good health. Most normal weight respondents said they ate less food than they wanted to because of financial constraints. Most women in overweight/obese ranges in our sample reported that they eat large portions and eat frequently due to the desire to portray a good image of their marital life since there is a societal expectation that when a woman is married, her weight should increase to show that the marriage is successful. The perceived contributors to weight gain include eating behaviors, feelings about weight gain, and gender roles and social expectations to gain weight.

Conclusion

Beliefs and attitudes related to eating behaviors may have contributed to women being in overweight range and should be considered in designing obesity prevention interventions targeting women in Malawi.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12905-022-01811-0.

[Comparison of a community-based nutritional intervention and a conventional nutritional intervention in Mayan communities in Mexico]

Poor nutritional conditions persist in many Mayan communities in Yucatán, Mexico, even though various programs have been implemented. The study aimed to compare the effects of a community-based nutritional intervention with an intercultural focus versus a conventional nutritional intervention on body mass index (BMI) and diet in women in Mayan communities in Yucatán. The sample included adult women with BMI ≥ 25kg/m2 from neighboring rural Mayan villages. Both interventions lasted three months with 11 sessions and followed the prevailing guidelines. The community-based intervention used an intercultural tool called Good Mayan Food [Plato del Bien Comer Maya], besides strategies designed according to information obtained from a prior qualitative study phase using interviews. The group that received the community-based intervention (n = 7), compared to the conventional intervention group (n = 9), showed larger decreases in BMI (-0.58 ± 0.70 kg/m2 and +0.27 ± 0.64kg/m2; p = 0.042), waist circumference (-2.15 ± 2.60 cm and -0.50 ± 0.75 cm; p = 0.042), and consumption of fats (-53.23 ± 21.92 grams and -7.34 ± 25.77 grams; p = 0.004), as well as higher increases in weekly consumption of some local foods such as nance fruit (p = 0.012), tamarind (p = 0.001), and chili peppers (p = 0.004). The community-based intervention was the only one to show a significant decrease in daily calorie intake (baseline: 2,067 ± 91 kcal/day, at three months: 1,474 ± 31 kcal/day; p = 0.018), and both groups showed decreases in the consumption of ultra-processed foods, but without significant differences between the two groups. The community-based intervention group showed better results than the conventional intervention group.

The healthiness of New Zealand school food environments: a national survey

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the healthiness of New Zealand school food environments.

METHODS

In 2016, primary and secondary schools were invited to complete a cross-sectional questionnaire. School nutrition policies were analysed using an adapted Wellness School Assessment Tool. Canteen menus were analysed using the National Food and Beverage Classification System, and a sample of menus (n=54) were validated using fieldworker observations.

RESULTS

In total, 819 schools (response rate 33%) participated. Forty per cent had a nutrition policy, and those analysed (n=145) lacked comprehensiveness and contained weak statements. Seventy-one per cent sold food and beverages during the school day. The school food service offered mainly unhealthy items. Many schools (81%) used food and beverages for fundraising with 90% of them using 'less healthy' items. Most had vegetable gardens (80%), included nutrition education in the curriculum (90%), were not sponsored by food and beverage companies (94%) and did not have commercial advertising on school grounds (97%).

CONCLUSION

New Zealand school nutrition policies are weak, and canteen and fundraising items are largely unhealthy, which undermine other positive efforts.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

This study provides evidence of unhealthy school food environments and supports the need for stronger national-level policy.

Improving spatial data in health geographics: a practical approach for testing data to measure children's physical activity and food environments using Google Street View

Background

Geographic information systems (GIS) are often used to examine the association between both physical activity and nutrition environments, and children’s health. It is often assumed that geospatial datasets are accurate and complete. Furthermore, GIS datasets regularly lack metadata on the temporal specificity. Data is usually provided ‘as is’, and therefore may be unsuitable for retrospective or longitudinal studies of health outcomes. In this paper we outline a practical approach to both fill gaps in geospatial datasets, and to test their temporal validity. This approach is applied to both district council and open-source datasets in the Taranaki region of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Methods

We used the ‘streetview’ python script to download historic Google Street View (GSV) images taken between 2012 and 2016 across specific locations in the Taranaki region. Images were reviewed and relevant features were incorporated into GIS datasets.

Results

A total of 5166 coordinates with environmental features missing from council datasets were identified. The temporal validity of 402 (49%) environmental features was able to be confirmed from council dataset considered to be ‘complete’. A total of 664 (55%) food outlets were identified and temporally validated.

Conclusions

Our research indicates that geospatial datasets are not always complete or temporally valid. We have outlined an approach to test the sensitivity and specificity of GIS datasets using GSV images. A substantial number of features were identified, highlighting the limitations of many GIS datasets.

Health system barriers to accessing care for children with weight issues in New Zealand: An interview-based study

OBJECTIVE

To identify barriers created and maintained by the health system affecting engagement in a family-based multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle programme for children and adolescents in New Zealand.

METHODS

We conducted 64 semi-structured interviews with participants of the programme (n = 71) with varying levels of engagement, including those who declined contact after their referral. Half the interviews were with families with Māori children, allowing for appropriate representation. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Five health system factors affecting engagement were identified: the national policy environment, funding constraints, lack of coordination between services, difficulty navigating the health system, and the cost of primary health care.

CONCLUSIONS

Engaging with a health system that creates and maintains substantial barriers to accessing services is difficult, affecting programme engagement, even where service-level barriers have been minimised. Lack of access remains a crucial barrier to improved health outcomes for children and their families experiencing childhood obesity in New Zealand. There is a need for comprehensive approaches that are accompanied by a clear implementation strategy and coordinated across sectors.

Efficacy of a smartphone application-based intervention for encouraging children's healthy eating in Denmark

The growing rates of childhood obesity constitute a public health challenge worldwide. Therefore it is important to identify effective and widely applicable interventions to prevent it. This study aims to explore children's experience of using a newly developed smartphone application (app) designed to promote healthy eating and evaluate its efficacy on encouraging healthy eating. First, two focus groups were conducted to explore children's experience of using the app. Then, a quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the app's efficacy. The children were asked to use the app for three months. Afterwards, the effect of the intervention was evaluated. 118 children aged 9 to 13 years (M=10.9, Sd=1.1) participated in the study. The children's experience of using the app was relatively positive, and they found the app easy to use. A significant increase in fruit (η2=.10) and vegetable preferences (η2=.37) and fruit intake (η2=.06) was found in the experimental group. No effects were found for vegetable intake, selfefficacy for healthy eating, or peer norms for healthy and unhealthy eating (p>0.05). The smartphone app-based intervention could potentially serve as an attractive and low-cost intervention to reach a wide population of children for the promotion of healthy eating and prevention of childhood obesity.

Recruiting people facing social disadvantage: the experience of the Free Meds study

BACKGROUND

Researching access to health services, and ways to improve equity, frequently requires researchers to recruit people facing social disadvantage. Recruitment can be challenging, and there is limited high quality evidence to guide researchers. This paper describes experiences of recruiting 1068 participants facing social disadvantage for a randomised controlled trial of prescription charges, and provides evidence on the advantages and disadvantages of recruitment methods.

METHODS

Those living in areas of higher social deprivation, taking medicines for diabetes, taking anti-psychotic medicines, or with COPD were eligible to participate in the study. Several strategies were trialled to meet recruitment targets. We initially attempted to recruit participants in person, and then switched to a phone-based system, eventually utilising a market research company to deal with incoming calls. We used a range of strategies to publicise the study, including pamphlets in pharmacies and medical centres, media (especially local newspapers) and social media.

RESULTS

Enrolling people on the phone was cheaper on average than recruiting in person, but as we refined our approach over time, the cost of the latter dropped significantly. In person recruitment had many advantages, such as enhancing our understanding of potential participants' concerns. Forty-nine percent of our participants are Māori, which we attribute to having Māori researchers on the team, recruiting in areas of high Māori population, team members' existing links with Māori health providers, and engaging and working with Māori providers.

CONCLUSIONS

Recruiting people facing social disadvantage requires careful planning and flexible recruitment strategies. Support from organisations trusted by potential participants is essential.

REGISTRATION

The Free Meds study is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12618001486213 ).

Participants' and caregivers' experiences of a multidisciplinary programme for healthy lifestyle change in Aotearoa/New Zealand: a qualitative, focus group study

OBJECTIVE

Child and adolescent obesity continues to be a major health issue internationally. This study aims to understand the views and experiences of caregivers and participants in a child and adolescent multidisciplinary programme for healthy lifestyle change.

DESIGN

Qualitative focus group study.

SETTING

Community-based healthy lifestyle intervention programme in a mixed urban-rural region of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

PARTICIPANTS

Parents/caregivers (n=6) and children/adolescents (n=8) who participated in at least 6 months of an assessment and weekly session, family-based community intervention programme for children and adolescents affected by obesity.

RESULTS

Findings covered participant experiences, healthy lifestyle changes due to participating in the programme, the delivery team, barriers to engagement and improvements. Across these domains, four key themes emerged from the focus groups for participants and their caregivers relating to their experience: knowledge-sharing, enabling a family to become self-determining in their process to achieve healthy lifestyle change; the importance of connectedness and a family-based programme; the sense of a collective journey and the importance of a nonjudgemental, respectful welcoming environment. Logistical challenges and recommendations for improvement were also identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Policymakers need to consider the experiences of participants alongside quantitative outcomes when informing multidisciplinary intervention programmes for children and adolescents affected by obesity.Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR):12611000862943; Post-results.

Correspondence: systematic reviews do not always capture context of real-world intervention programmes for childhood obesity (response to Littlewood, et al., 2020 in BMC Public Health)

In a recent issue of the BMC Public Health journal, Littlewood et al. described the results of a systematic review of interventions to prevent or treat childhood obesity in Māori or Pacific Island peoples. They found that studies to date have had limited impact on improving health outcomes for Māori and Pacific Island peoples, and suggest this may be due to a lack of co-design principles in the conception of the various studies. Ensuring that interventions are appropriate for groups most affected by obesity is critical; however, some inaccuracies should be noted in the explanation of these findings. There is a risk with systematic reviews that the context of intervention trials is lost without acknowledging the associated body of literature for programmes that refer to the ongoing commitment to communities and groups most affected by obesity.

Effects of Fecal Microbiome Transfer in Adolescents With Obesity: The Gut Bugs Randomized Controlled Trial

IMPORTANCE

Treatment of pediatric obesity is challenging. Preclinical studies in mice indicated that weight and metabolism can be altered by gut microbiome manipulation.

OBJECTIVE

To assess efficacy of fecal microbiome transfer (FMT) to treat adolescent obesity and improve metabolism.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial (October 2017-March 2019) with a 26-week follow-up was conducted among adolescents aged 14 to 18 years with a body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 30 or more in Auckland, New Zealand. A total of 87 individuals took part-565 individuals responded to advertisements, 328 were ineligible, and 150 declined participation. Clinical data were analyzed from September 2019 to May 2020.

INTERVENTIONS

Single course of oral encapsulated fecal microbiome from 4 healthy lean donors of the same sex or saline placebo.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Primary outcome was BMI standard deviation score at 6 weeks using intention-to-treat analysis. Secondary outcomes included body composition, cardiometabolic parameters, well-being, and gut microbiome composition.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven participants (59% female adolescents, mean [SD] age 17.2 [1.4] years) were randomized 1:1, in groups stratified by sex, to FMT (42 participants) or placebo (45 participants). There was no effect of FMT on BMI standard deviation score at 6 weeks (adjusted mean difference [aMD] -0.026; 95% CI -0.074, 0.022). Reductions in android-to-gynoid-fat ratio in the FMT vs placebo group were observed at 6, 12, and 26 weeks, with aMDs of -0.021 (95% CI, -0.041 to -0.001), -0.023 (95% CI, -0.043 to -0.003), and -0.029 (95% CI, -0.049 to -0.008), respectively. There were no observed effects on insulin sensitivity, liver function, lipid profile, inflammatory markers, blood pressure, total body fat percentage, gut health, and health-related quality of life. Gut microbiome profiling revealed a shift in community composition among the FMT group, maintained up to 12 weeks. In post-hoc exploratory analyses among participants with metabolic syndrome at baseline, FMT led to greater resolution of this condition (18 to 4) compared with placebo (13 to 10) by 26 weeks (adjusted odds ratio, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01-0.45; P = .007). There were no serious adverse events recorded throughout the trial.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this randomized clinical trial of adolescents with obesite, there was no effect of FMT on weight loss in adolescents with obesity, although a reduction in abdominal adiposity was observed. Post-hoc analyses indicated a resolution of undiagnosed metabolic syndrome with FMT among those with this condition. Further trials are needed to confirm these results and identify organisms and mechanisms responsible for mediating the observed benefits.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Identifier: ACTRN12615001351505.

Challenges of making healthy lifestyle changes for families in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Objective:

The objective of the current study was to identify challenges of making and sustaining healthy lifestyle changes for families with children/adolescents affected by obesity, who were referred to a multicomponent healthy lifestyle assessment and intervention programme in Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ).

Design:

Secondary qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews.

Setting:

Taranaki region of Aotearoa/NZ.

Participants:

Thirty-eight interviews with parents/caregivers (n 42) of children/adolescents who had previously been referred to a family-focused multidisciplinary programme for childhood obesity intervention, who identified challenges of making healthy lifestyle changes. Participants had varying levels of engagement, including those who declined contact after their referral.

Results:

Participant-identified challenges included financial cost, impact of the food environment, time pressures, stress, maintaining consistency across households, independence in adolescence, concern for mental health and frustration when not seeing changes in weight status.

Conclusions:

Participants recognised a range of factors that contributed towards their ability to make and sustain change, including factors at the wider socio-environmental level beyond their immediate control. Even with the support of a multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle programme, participants found it difficult to make sustained changes within an obesogenic environment. Healthy lifestyle intervention programmes and families’ abilities to make and sustain changes require alignment of prevention efforts, focusing on policy changes to improve the food environment and eliminate structural inequities.

Determining barriers and facilitators to engagement for families in a family-based, multicomponent healthy lifestyles intervention for children and adolescents: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

Recruitment and retention in child and adolescent healthy lifestyle intervention services for childhood obesity is challenging, and inequalities across social groups are persistent. This study aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to engagement in a multicomponent assessment-and-intervention healthy lifestyle programme for children and their families, based in the home and community.

DESIGN

Qualitative interview-based study of past users (n=76) of a family-based multicomponent healthy lifestyle programme in a mixed urban-rural region of New Zealand. Semistructured, home-based interviews were conducted and thematically analysed with peer debriefing for validity.

PARTICIPANTS

Families were selected through stratified random sampling to include a range of levels of engagement, including those who declined their referral, with equal numbers of interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous families.

RESULTS

Three interactive and compounding determinants were identified as influencing engagement in Whānau Pakari: acute and chronic life stressors, societal norms of weight and body size and historical experiences of healthcare. These determinants were present across societal, system and healthcare service levels. A negative referral experience to Whānau Pakari often resulted in participants declining further input or disengaging from the programme. A fourth domain, respectful and compassionate healthcare, was identified as a mitigator of these three themes, facilitating participant engagement despite previous negative experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

While participant engagement in healthy lifestyle programmes is affected by determinants which appear to operate outside immediate service provision, the programme is an opportunity to acknowledge past instances of stigma and the wider challenges of healthy lifestyle change. The experience of the referral to Whānau Pakari is important for setting the scene for future engagement in the programme. Respectful, compassionate care is critical to enhanced retention in multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle programmes and ongoing engagement in healthcare services overall.

Survey of Barriers and Facilitators to Engagement in a Multidisciplinary Healthy Lifestyles Program for Children

OBJECTIVE

To understand facilitators and barriers to engagement in a multidisciplinary assessment and intervention program for children and adolescents with obesity, particularly for Māori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand.

METHODS

Whānau Pakari participants and caregivers (n = 71, 21% response rate) referred to the family-based healthy lifestyles program in Taranaki, New Zealand, were asked to participate in a confidential survey, which collected self-reported attendance levels and agreement with statements around service accessibility and appropriateness and open-text comments identifying barriers and facilitators to attendance.

RESULTS

Self-reported attendance levels were higher when respondents reported sessions to be conveniently located (P = .03) and lower when respondents considered other priorities as more important for their family (P = .02). Māori more frequently reported that past experiences of health care influenced their decision to attend (P = .03). Facilitators included perceived convenience of the program, parental motivation to improve child health, and ongoing support from the program.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Program convenience and parental and/or self-motivation to improve health were facilitators of attendance. Further research is required to understand the relationship between past experiences with health care and subsequent engagement with services.

Disturbed eating behaviours do not impact treatment response in a paediatric obesity chronic care treatment programme

AIM

This study investigates the prevalence of disturbed eating behaviours in children and adolescents initiating obesity treatment, and how the prevalence varies with age, sex and body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS). Secondly, it examines whether the presence of disturbed eating behaviours at enrolment is associated with the degree of weight loss after 12 months of treatment.

METHODS

A total of 3621 patients aged 3-18 years enrolled in a multidisciplinary obesity treatment programme were studied. Follow-up data after a median of 12.4 months were available for 2055 patients. Upon entry, patients were assessed for the following disturbed eating behaviours: meal skipping, emotional eating, overeating and rapid eating. Height and weight were measured at baseline and follow-up.

RESULTS

At enrolment, median age was 11.4 years, median BMI SDS was 2.87, and 82.2% of patients exhibited one or more disturbed eating behaviours. The prevalence of meal skipping, emotional eating and rapid eating increased with age (P < 0.01). Patients who reported overeating or rapid eating exhibited a 0.06-0.11 higher BMI SDS at enrolment than patients without these disturbed eating behaviours (P < 0.02). After 1 year of treatment, BMI SDS was reduced in 75.7% of patients, and the median reduction was 0.24 (95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.27). Overeating was associated with a higher degree of weight loss, while meal skipping, emotional eating and rapid eating did not associate with the degree of weight loss at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Disturbed eating behaviours were highly prevalent in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity, and varied with age and sex. After 1 year of treatment, the degree of obesity improved, regardless of the presence of disturbed eating behaviours at treatment initiation.

Childhood obesity in New Zealand

BACKGROUND

Paediatric obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, resulting in significant adverse effects on health and wellbeing. Early life events, including those that happen before, during, and after pregnancy can predispose children to later obesity. The purpose of this review is to examine the magnitude of obesity among New Zealand children and adolescents, and to determine their underlying risk factors and associated comorbidities.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar searches were performed using the key terms "obesity", "overweight", "children", "adolescents", and "New Zealand".

RESULTS

Obesity is a major public health concern in New Zealand, with more than 33% of children and adolescents aged 2-14 years being overweight or obese. Obesity disproportionately affects Māori (New Zealand's indigenous population) and Pacific children and adolescents, as well as those of lower socioeconomic status. New Zealand's obesity epidemic is associated with numerous health issues, including cardiometabolic, gastrointestinal, and psychological problems, which also disproportionately affect Māori and Pacific children and adolescents. Notably, a number of factors may be useful to identify those at increased risk (such as demographic and anthropometric characteristics) and inform possible interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of overweight and obese children and adolescents in New Zealand is markedly high, with a greater impact on particular ethnicities and those of lower socioeconomic status. Alleviating the current burden of pediatric obesity should be a key priority for New Zealand, for the benefit of both current and subsequent generations. Future strategies should focus on obesity prevention, particularly starting at a young age and targeting those at greatest risk.

A within-sibling pair analysis of lifestyle behaviours and BMI z-score in the multi-centre I.Family study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

By investigating differences in lifestyle behaviours and BMI in sibling pairs, family-level confounding is minimized and causal inference is improved, compared to cross-sectional studies of unrelated children. Thus, we aimed to investigate within-sibling pair differences in different lifestyle behaviours and differences in BMI z-scores in children and adolescents.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We examined three groups of sibling pairs 1) all same-sex sibling pairs with maximum 4 years age difference (n = 1209 pairs from 1072 families in 8 countries, mean age 10.7 years, standard deviation 2.4 years), 2) sibling pairs discordant for overweight (n = 262) and 3) twin pairs (n = 85). Usual dietary intake was estimated by 24-h recalls and time spent in light (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was measured by accelerometers. Screen time, sleep and dieting for weight loss were assessed by questionnaires. Within all 3 groups of sibling pairs, more time in MVPA was associated with lower BMI z-score. Higher energy intake was associated with higher BMI z-score within twin pairs and within all sibling pairs who were not currently dieting for weight loss. Regarding LPA, screen time or sleep duration, no or inconsistent associations were observed for the three groups of sibling pairs.

CONCLUSIONS

MVPA and energy intake were associated with BMI differences within sibling and twin pairs growing up in the same home, thus independent of family-level confounding factors. Future studies should explore whether genetic variants regulating appetite or energy expenditure behaviours account for weight differences in sibling pairs.

Infant Food Security in New Zealand: A Multidimensional Index Developed from Cohort Data

Food security (FS) during infancy is associated with lifelong outcomes. New Zealand is a developed economy that reports poor childhood nutrition-related health statistics, particularly among minority children, yet has no measure of FS applicable to infancy. The objective was to develop an FS index for New Zealand infants and examine its association with demographic covariates and health outcomes. Within a large (n = 6853) nationally representative cohort, variables describing infant food consumption, breastfeeding, and maternal food-related coping methods were collected from mothers during late infancy. An FS index was derived using confirmatory factor analysis. Associations were assessed by logistic regressions and described using odds ratios (OR) and ≥95% confidence intervals (CI). Fifteen percent of the cohort was highly FS, 43% tenuously food insecure (FIS), and 16% highly food insecure (FIS). Infants from minority ethnic groups had lower odds of being food secure, as did those born to the youngest mothers, mothers who smoked, or those who lived in low-income households. FIS infants had higher odds of morbidity. Interventions to improve infant FS should focus on improving dietary quality, and should give particular consideration to minority infants. We identified that FIS shows wide ethnic and socioeconomic inequity, and is associated with poorer health. The most important driving factors of FIS included poor quality weaning diets, as well as poverty and its proxies. Any interventions to improve infant FS should focus on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption to recommended intake levels, and should give particular consideration to minority infants.

Pathways to eating in children and adolescents with obesity

BACKGROUND

Paediatric obesity management remains generalised to dietary and exercise modifications with an underappreciation for the contributions of eating behaviours and appetitive traits in the development of obesity.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether treatment-seeking children and adolescents with obesity cluster into phenotypes based on known eating behaviours and appetitive traits ("eating correlates") and how socio-demographic and clinical characteristics associate with different phenotypes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, multi-centre questionnaire was administered between November 2015 and March 2017 examining correlates of eating in children and adolescents attending weight-management programmes in Canada. Latent profile analysis was used to cluster participants based on seven eating correlate scores obtained from questionnaires. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine phenotype differences on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed relative risk of specific characteristics associating with a disordered eating phenotype.

RESULTS

Participants were 247 children and adolescents (45.3% male, mean BMI z-score = 3.4 ± 1.0 kg/m²) from six paediatric weight management centres in Canada. Seven eating correlates clustered into three distinct phenotypes: (1) loss of control eating, emotional eating, external eating, hyperphagia, impulsivity ("Mixed-Severe"; n = 42, 17%), (2) loss of control eating, emotional eating, external eating, hyperphagia ("Mixed-Moderate"; n = 138, 55.9%), and (3) impulsivity ("Impulsive"; n = 67; 27.1%). Social functioning scores and body esteem were significantly different across groups, with the Mixed-Severe participants having the poorest social functioning and lowest body esteem. Low body esteem indicated a greater risk of being in a multi-correlate group compared to the Impulsive group, while poor social function had a greater risk of clustering in the Mixed-Severe than Impulsive phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS

Distinct eating phenotypes were found in treatment-seeking children and adolescents with obesity. Empirical evidence is needed, but these data suggest that tailored treatment approaches could be informed by these classifications to improve weight-management outcomes.

Economic evaluation of a multi-disciplinary community-based intervention programme for New Zealand children and adolescents with obesity

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether Whānau Pakari, a home-based, 12-month multi-disciplinary child obesity intervention programme was cost-effective when compared with the prior conventional hospital-based model of care.

METHODS

Whānau Pakari trial participants were recruited January 2012-August 2014, and randomised to either a high-intensity intervention (weekly sessions for 12 months with home-based assessments and advice, n=100) or low-intensity control (home-based assessments and advice only, n=99). Trial participants were aged 5-16 years, resided in Taranaki, Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ), with a body mass index (BMI) ≥98th centile or BMI >91st centile with weight-related comorbidities. Conventional group participants (receiving paediatrician assessment with dietitian input and physical activity/nutrition support, n=44) were aged 4-15 years, and resided in the same or another NZ centre. The change in BMI standard deviation score (SDS) at 12 months from baseline and programme intervention costs, both at the participant level, were used for the economic evaluation. A limited health funder perspective with costs in 2016 NZ$ was taken.

RESULTS

The per child 12-month Whānau Pakari programme costs were significantly lower than in the conventional group. In the low-intensity group, costs were NZ$939 (95% CI: 872, 1007) (US$648) lower than the conventional group. In the high-intensity intervention group, costs were NZ$155 (95% CI: 89, 219) (US$107) lower than in the conventional group. BMI SDS reductions were similar in the three groups.

CONCLUSIONS

A home-based, multi-disciplinary child obesity intervention had lower programme costs per child, greater reach, with similar BMI SDS outcomes at 12 months when compared with the previous hospital-based conventional model.

Urbanization is Associated with Increased Trends in Cardiovascular Mortality Among Indigenous Populations: the PAI Study

Background

The cardiovascular risk burden among diverse indigenous populations is not totally known and may be influenced by lifestyle changes related to the urbanization process.

Objectives

To investigate the cardiovascular (CV) mortality profile of indigenous populations during a rapid urbanization process largely influenced by governmental infrastructure interventions in Northeast Brazil.

Methods

We assessed the mortality of indigenous populations (≥ 30 y/o) from 2007 to 2011 in Northeast Brazil (Bahia and Pernambuco states). Cardiovascular mortality was considered if the cause of death was in the ICD-10 CV disease group or if registered as sudden death. The indigenous populations were then divided into two groups according to the degree of urbanization based on anthropological criteria:^9,10 Group 1 - less urbanized tribes (Funi-ô, Pankararu, Kiriri, and Pankararé); and Group 2 - more urbanized tribes (Tuxá, Truká, and Tumbalalá). Mortality rates of highly urbanized cities (Petrolina and Juazeiro) in the proximity of indigenous areas were also evaluated. The analysis explored trends in the percentage of CV mortality for each studied population. Statistical significance was established for p value < 0.05.

Results

There were 1,333 indigenous deaths in tribes of Bahia and Pernambuco (2007-2011): 281 in Group 1 (1.8% of the 2012 group population) and 73 in Group 2 (3.7% of the 2012 group population), CV mortality of 24% and 37%, respectively (p = 0.02). In 2007-2009, there were 133 deaths in Group 1 and 44 in Group 2, CV mortality of 23% and 34%, respectively. In 2009-2010, there were 148 deaths in Group 1 and 29 in Group 2, CV mortality of 25% and 41%, respectively.

Conclusions

Urbanization appears to influence increases in CV mortality of indigenous peoples living in traditional tribes. Lifestyle and environmental changes due to urbanization added to suboptimal health care may increase CV risk in this population.

A Novel Home-Based Intervention for Child and Adolescent Obesity: The Results of the Whānau Pakari Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To report 12-month outcomes from a multidisciplinary child obesity intervention program, targeting high-risk groups.

METHODS

In this unblinded randomized controlled trial, participants (recruited January 2012-August 2014) were aged 5 to 16 years, resided in Taranaki, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and had BMI ≥ 98th percentile or BMI > 91st percentile with weight-related comorbidities. Randomization was by minimization (age and ethnicity), with participants assigned to an intense intervention group (home-based assessments at 6-month intervals and a 12-month multidisciplinary program with weekly group sessions) or to a minimal-intensity control group with home-based assessments and advice at each 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome was the change in BMI standard deviation score (SDS) at 12 months from baseline. A mixed model analysis was undertaken, incorporating all 6- and 12-month data.

RESULTS

Two hundred and three children were randomly assigned (47% Māori, 43% New Zealand European, 53% female, 28% from the most deprived quintile, mean age 10.7 years, mean BMI SDS 3.12). Both groups displayed a change in BMI SDS at 12 months from baseline (-0.12 control, -0.10 intervention), improvements in cardiovascular fitness (P < 0.0001), and improvements in quality of life (P < 0.001). Achieving ≥ 70% attendance in the intense intervention group resulted in a change in BMI SDS of -0.22.

CONCLUSIONS

This program achieved a high recruitment of target groups and a high rate of BMI SDS reduction, irrespective of intervention intensity. If retention is optimized, the intensive program doubles its effect.

Assessment of health-related quality of life and psychological well-being of children and adolescents with obesity enrolled in a New Zealand community-based intervention programme: an observational study

OBJECTIVE

To describe health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and psychological well-being of children and adolescents at enrolment in a multidisciplinary community-based obesity programme and to determine association with ethnicity. This programme targeted indigenous people and those from most deprived households. Further, this cohort was compared with other populations/normative data.

METHODS

This study examines baseline demographic data of an unblinded randomised controlled clinical trial. Participants (recruited from January 2012-August 2014) resided in Taranaki, New Zealand, and for this study we only included those with a body mass index (BMI) ≥98th percentile (obese). HRQOL and psychological well-being were assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL V.4.0^TM) (parent and child reports), and Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)/Youth Self Report (YSR).

RESULTS

Assessments were undertaken for 233 participants (45% Māori, 45% New Zealand European, 10% other ethnicities, 52% female, 30% from the most deprived household quintile), mean age 10.6 years. The mean BMI SD score (SDS) was 3.12 (range 2.01-5.34). Total PedsQL generic scaled score (parent) was lower (mean=63.4, SD 14.0) than an age-matched group of Australian children without obesity from the Health of Young Victorians study (mean=83.1, SD 12.5). In multivariable models, child and parental generic scaled scores decreased in older children (β=-0.70 and p=0.031, β=-0.64 and p=0.047, respectively). Behavioural difficulties (CBCL/YSR total score) were reported in 43.5% of participants, with the rate of emotional/behavioural difficulties six times higher than reported norms (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this cohort, children and adolescents with obesity had a low HRQOL, and a concerning level of psychological difficulties, irrespective of ethnicity. Obesity itself rather than ethnicity or deprivation appeared to contribute to lower HRQOL scores. This study highlights the importance of psychologist involvement in obesity intervention programmes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Australian NZ Clinical Trials Registry ANZCTR 12611000862943; Pre-results.

Physical activity is low in obese New Zealand children and adolescents

We aimed to describe physical activity and sedentary behaviour of obese children and adolescents in Taranaki, New Zealand, and to determine how these differ in Māori (indigenous) versus non-indigenous children. Participants (n = 239; 45% Māori, 45% New Zealand European [NZE], 10% other ethnicities) aged 4.8–16.8 years enrolled in a community-based obesity programme from January 2012 to August 2014 who had a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 98^th percentile (n = 233) or >91^st–98^th percentile with weight-related comorbidities (n = 6) were assessed. Baseline activity levels were assessed using the children’s physical activity questionnaire (C-PAQ), a fitness test, and ≥3 days of accelerometer wear. Average BMI standard deviation score was 3.09 (SD = 0.60, range 1.52–5.34 SDS). Reported median daily activity was 80 minutes (IQR = 88). Although 44% of the cohort met the national recommended screen time of <2 hours per day, the mean screen time was longer at 165 minutes (SD = 135). Accelerometer data (n = 130) showed low physical activity time (median 34 minutes [IQR = 29]). Only 18.5% of the total cohort met national recommended physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes per day. There were minimal ethnic differences. In conclusion, obese children/adolescents in this cohort had low levels of physical activity. The vast majority are not meeting national physical activity recommendations.