Effect of a family-based lifestyle intervention on weight reduction among Jordanian children with obesity aged 6–9 years

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a family-based lifestyle intervention on reducing body weight among Jordanian children with obesity aged 6–9 years old. The pretest-posttest control group design was conducted among 162 children (75 in the intervention group and 87 in the control group) with obesity aged 6–9 years old at four primary schools in Jordan during the period from March 2021 to July 2021. The results found that, after the intervention, there was a statistically significant change in the F scores in the control group vs. in the intervention group (M = 37.07, SD = 2.77; M = 33.48, SD = 2.73; t (160) = 8.29, P < 0.001), where the mean BMI percentile was reduced by 2.05 in the intervention group. A significant difference was demonstrated in the median BMI percentile in the intervention and control groups post-intervention (P < 0.001). A significant difference was also noticed between the average weekly reported dietary habits and the physical activities of both the control group and the intervention group post-intervention. The findings support the effect of family-based lifestyle interventions. Healthcare providers should adopt such interventions for children living with obesity. Future study is required to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of this intervention on weight reduction.