A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Delivery of Behavioral Pediatric Obesity Treatment Using Standard and Enhanced Motivational Approaches

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of an adjunct motivational and autonomy-enhancing intervention (self-directed) for behavioral family-based pediatric obesity relative to the standard prescription of uniform behavioral skills use and interventionist goal assignment (prescribed). METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial, 72 overweight/obese children and their parents/caregivers were assigned to either self-directed or prescribed intervention for 20 weeks, with approaches diverging after week 5. Anthropometric measurements from child and participating parent at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups were evaluated for change (n = 59 in follow-up analyses). RESULTS: The approaches demonstrated similar child body mass index (BMI) z-score and parent BMI change from baseline to posttreatment and throughout follow-up, with child and parent weight status lower than baseline at 2 years after treatment cessation. CONCLUSIONS: An adjunct motivational and autonomy-enhancing approach to behavioral family-based pediatric obesity treatment is a viable alternative to the standard intervention approach.