This study evaluates the role of personal activity trackers to help improve weight loss or weight maintenance for children and their parents enrolled in a comprehensive weight loss program.
Childhood obesity rates have tripled in the last 30 years, with as many as 50% of children in the US being obese or overweight. High-intensity comprehensive behavioral family lifestyle intervention (CBFLI) programs have been shown to be among the most effective interventions for weight loss in children. However, these programs are time- and resource-intensive with high rates of recidivism. Personal activity trackers (PAT) provide objectively measured physical activity data and are more reliable than self-report. These devices can also have a motivational impact. The investigators intend to study the effects of these devices and their data on behavior change and weight loss for both parents and children enrolled in a CBFLI program. The investigators will objectively measure the level of activity of both members of the parent-child dyad, explore the relationship between parent-child activity levels and its effect on each other, as well as on overall weight loss or weight maintenance.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
200
The Fitbit is a consumer-grade personal activity tracker. It is used to track physical activity. Patients will be given devices at the beginning of the study, and they will continue to use it for 7 weeks. Their data will be collected on a weekly basis, and patients will receive feedback on their level of activity based on the Fitbit data.
BMI-z score
change in BMI-z score
Time frame: Baseline to program completion (~8 weeks)
Impact of fitbit on program attendance
The investigators will evaluate if families that receive fitbits attend more sessions (out of 7 total sessions) by recording their attendance at each session
Time frame: Baseline to program completion (~8 weeks)
impact of fitbit on program completion rate
The investigators will evaluate if families that receive fitbits complete the program at a higher rate (completion is defined as having attended at least 4 out of 7 sessions).
Time frame: Baseline to program completion (~8 weeks)
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