Partnering with adolescents, parents, researchers, and family medicine clinics to address adolescent weight and weight-related behaviors

Abstract

iven the prevalence of adolescent overweight/obesity and disordered eating behaviors and the negative consequences associated with these conditions, it is important to develop interventions to reduce the risk of overweight/obesity and disordered eating behaviors in adolescents. Previous interventions targeting adolescent obesity and/or disordered eating behaviors have had limited success. There is a need to intervene with adolescents in a new way to address obesity and disordered eating behaviors simultaneously and in partnership with adolescents, parents, researchers, and family medicine clinics. An adolescent obesity and disordered eating prevention intervention was developed using focus groups with community members to guide the development of the intervention that simultaneously targeted the reduction of weight and harmful weight-related behaviors (e.g., fasting, binging, purging). A group-based and family-level intervention was ultimately designed which incorporated individual support from peers at a group level carried out at a family medicine “medical home” clinic, family-level support delivered through in-home visits, and social support via social media (i.e., Google+). Feasibility of carrying out the UMatter intervention was assessed and process evaluations were conducted with adolescents, parents, and staff who carried out the intervention.