An evaluation of two methods of parental involvement in treating obese children

Abstract

Parents of overweight children elected one of two procedures for structuring their involvement in their child's behavioral weight loss program. As in previous operationalizations of parental involvement, one choice allowed parents to engage in their own weight loss effort. These parents followed a program parallel to their child's. In addition, they monitored and earned rewards for the same behaviors. Alternatively, parents could choose a helper role. The parents' change efforts focused on improving their skills as a helper. Monitoring and contracting for rewards were based upon performance of helping behaviors. Both forms of parental involvement were equally successful in producing weight loss among children during treatment and were superior to a waiting list control. The two procedures also yielded equivalent results at year follow-up. Degree of parental and child weight loss during treatment were related, but follow-up findings were less clear. A relationship between age of the child and type of parental involvement was also suggested.