Effect of multidisciplinary intervention on emotional and behavioral profile of overweight and obese children: An interventional longitudinal study

Objectives: Childhood obesity has significant and everlasting adverse consequences on physical health, psychosocial domain and overall quality of life. Few interventional studies have been conducted on these children; hence, we have conducted this study to understand the impact of multidisciplinary intervention on the emotional and behavioral profile of overweight and obese children in the age group of 8–18 years. Methods: Overweight and obese children were enrolled in the study from the pediatric outpatient unit in a tertiary care hospital. Children with neurological illness, IQ less than 80, on anti-epileptic drugs or with syndromic/endocrine causes of obesity were excluded. After undergoing a baseline assessment, they were subjected to emotional and behavioral assessments as per the strength and difficulty questionnaire (SDQ) and Self Perception Profile (SPP). Weekly interactive counseling sessions were conducted by a multidisciplinary team (psychiatrist, pediatrician and dietician) with the children and their parents consecutively for 4 weeks including physical activity, dietary advice and sessions focusing on psychological aspects. The same scores were applied to these children after 3 months of intervention and the data was analyzed. Results: Forty participants were assessed in the study with a mean age of 12.2 years and an M:F ratio was 1.1:1. There was a significant reduction in BMI ( P < 0.05) after intervention. Also, there was a significant decline in the total difficulties score in SDQ; especially in the emotional symptoms, conduct and peer relationships problem subscale ( P < 0.05). These children had low scores in all subscales, especially in the physical appearance, behavioral conduct and global self-worth subscale, which improved significantly after these sessions ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of screening for psychological problems in children with obesity and the role of psychoeducation in obesity intervention programs, which will ultimately lead to improvement in emotional and behavioral profiles.