An individually tailored, family-centered intervention for childhood obesity

J.D. Smith, Ph.D.
Northwestern University
Cady Berkel, Ph.D.
Arizona State University

ABSTRACT:
Non-adherence with recommendations for healthy lifestyle behavior change and connecting children and families with needed services in the community are significant barriers to effectively making a dent in pediatric obesity in the United States. Few strategies have been tested to reverse this trend. Family-centered behavioral interventions have been found to significantly impact childhood obesity and have the potential to increase treatment effects when coordinated with services in the primary healthcare environment—which is the front-line treatment setting for the majority of children and families, particularly low-income, disadvantaged families. The proposed study pending review at the CDC will assess the effectiveness of a family-centered behavioral and motivation-enhancing intervention delivered in the home or the clinic in collaboration with three urban primary care agencies serving low-income ethnic minority families in the Phoenix, AZ area. The intervention being tested has significant potential for scale up and addresses many of the barriers to effective family-based obesity care.