Open AccessParents lose less weight than nonparents in an intensive lifestyle intervention
Author(s) -
Bramante Carolyn T.,
Thornton Rachel L. J.,
Pilla Scott J.,
Maruthur Nisa M.,
Venkataramani Maya,
Clark Jeanne M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
obesity science and practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.654
H-Index - 14
ISSN - 2055-2238
DOI - 10.1002/osp4.436
Subject(s) - overweight , medicine , psychological intervention , intervention (counseling) , randomized controlled trial , obesity , gerontology , weight loss , diabetes mellitus , type 2 diabetes , demography , psychiatry , sociology , endocrinology
Summary Objective Understand whether parents lose less weight than nonparents in behavioural weight interventions. Methods The Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) trial randomized adults with Type 2 diabetes and overweight to an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) or control (diabetes support and education [DSE]). Participants who reported living with a child under age 18 were designated as ‘parents’ for this analysis. Intention to treat analysis was performed of the effect of the ILI on change in weight at 1 year by parental status. Adherence to attending intervention visits was compared between parents and nonparents. Subgroup analyses were done based on previous subgroup findings in the Look AHEAD study. Results Among 4,547 participants, 15% were parents. Parents were younger and more likely to have self‐identified as African American or Hispanic/Latino. Comparing ILI with DSE, parents lost less weight than nonparents (−7.1% vs. −8.3%, p = 0.021). African American female parents lost 4% body weight compared with 7% in African American female nonparents ( p = 0.01). Conclusions In a randomized trial, parents lost less weight than nonparents, and this difference was largest for African American women. These findings suggest parents face unique challenges achieving weight loss; more research is needed to understand and optimize interventions for parents.