Treatment Engagement in a Weight Loss Intervention for African American Adolescents and Their Families

African American adolescents are disproportionately affected by obesity. Few interventions target this group, produce sustainable results, and retain participants. Phenomenology was used to compare the treatment experiences of African American families in multisystemic therapy for weight loss. Families that discontinued treatment described life problems and negative experiences with interventions as barriers. Therapeutic time was spent building confidence and motivation for treatment. Although successful families struggled with intrafamilial relationships, they were more engaged in treatment and experienced greater weight loss. Instilling hope is one strategy proposed to increase treatment engagement in families dealing with serious life problems.