Rationale and design of theory‐based nutritional strategy to promote healthy dietary habits in severe obese adolescents: Study protocol for ICAAN (Intervention for childhood and adolescent obesity via activity and nutrition) project

Abstract

BackgroundBehavioral modification on healthy eating and lifestyle is required to improve metabolically healthy status in severe obese child and adolescents. We aimed to develop tailored nutritional education programs to find barriers on dietary and lifestyle for severe obese adolescents and their caregivers.MethodsFocused on theoretical framework approaches are effective to change behavior and achieve goals. To develop four monthly contents, social cognitive theory and transtheoretical model were applied to this program. All sessions were designed to give nutritional knowledge and practical mission in a real life for individual goal setting and self‐control. In the 1st and 2nd sessions, my meal planning and portion control were emphasized based on five food groups for diet and health outcome expectations. The 3rd and 4th sessions were build up skills to choose healthy snacks and cook with fruit and vegetables. 103 participants aged 8 to 16 years will be participated in a 16 week intervention program. During the each sessions, the participants and their family will be interviewed by nutritional expert for further tailored nutritional education and counselling.ResultsEach 20‐min individual face to face nutritional education and counselling will be offered every month for the participants and their parents; monthly phone contact and txt message for social support and online food recipe to emphasize having breakfast and vegetable and fruit consumption. Following as the monthly contents, individual dietary goal setting will be attained by every participants with their family. Promoting healthy eating practices resources; an educational book, practice posters, food diaries and a water bottle will be provided to all intervention participants to motivate healthy lifestyle behaviors.DiscussionThis nutritional intervention program might be assist to implement further researches in severe obese adolescents' population.Support or Funding InformationPreparation of this article was supported by Grant 2015‐ER6401‐00 from the Division of Metabolic disease, Center for Biomedical science, Korea National Institute of Health.