APOLO-Teens, a Web-based Intervention For Adolescents With Overweight/Obesity
Condition: Pediatric Obesity
MeSH terms: Obesity; Overweight; Pediatric Obesity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      With the demand for weight-loss interventions likely to continue its upward trend over the
      next decades, the question remains on how to continuously monitor and support overweight and
      obese adolescents, particularly in the long-term. Moreover, as the burden of the obesity
      rates increases in health care centers, the development of alternative delivering strategies
      gains attention. In an environment of limited resources, the development of new-technology
      based programs seems a promising area to deliver cost-effective interventions to a wide
      number of individuals. However, the existing studies present several limitations and a
      challenging aspect of treating obesity in adolescents is the presence of high rates of
      disordered eating behaviors.

      The objective of this study is to develop and test the effectiveness of a web-based Cognitive
      Behavioral Therapy intervention, for adolescents with overweight/obesity. A Randomized
      Controlled Trial will compare a control group receiving medical treatment as usual (TAU), and
      an intervention group receiving TAU plus a psychological/behavioral intervention delivered
      via the internet.
    

Detailed description: 
      This research project intends to examine the effectiveness of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
      and psychoeducational based program for adolescents with overweight and obesity delivered as
      a web-based intervention: APOLO-Teens. Therefore, a randomized controlled trial will compare
      a control group receiving medical treatment as usual for pediatric obesity in public health
      care centers in Portugal, and an intervention group receiving TAU plus the APOLO-Teens
      web-based intervention.

      The APOLO-Teens web-based intervention was designed to optimize treatment as usual for
      pediatric obesity, promoting the adoption of healthy eating habits and lifestyle behaviors.
      Particularly it aims to promote higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, increase
      physical activity levels, reduce sedentary time, enhance psychological well-being, and
      facilitating weight loss.

      All participants will be assessed at baseline, 3 months after the beginning of the research
      protocol/intervention, end of the web-based intervention, and at 6 and 12 months follow-up.
      All the assessments will be conducted in Qualtrics: Online Survey Software. Repeated Paired
      Samples T-test will explore differences between the two groups across the assessment times.
      Multiple linear regression analysis will be applied to explore predictors of weight loss and
      weight regain, and survival analyses to identify participants with the highest probability to
      regain weight. Additionally, 3-Level Hierarchical Linear Models will be conducted to explore
      the temporal occurrence and patterns of change of eating-related variables, physical
      activity, and BMI z-score in participants from the two groups.

      It is expected that the intervention group participants will present a higher frequency of
      healthy food consumption (fruit/vegetables) and increased physical activity levels at the end
      of the web-based intervention when compared with TAU group participants. We further expect,
      differences between the groups regarding eating behavior-related variables, as well as in the
      psychological features assessed throughout the different assessment points, and ultimately in
      weight maintenance or regain, with the intervention group presenting lower scores/weight.
    

Intervention name(s): APOLO-Teens web-based intervention; Treatment as Usual for Pediatric Obesity
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Other
Intervention description(s): The APOLO-Teens web-based intervention is a 6-month cognitive-behavioral lifestyle program developed to optimize treatment as usual for pediatric obesity in public portuguese hospitals.; Treatment as Usual for pediatric obesity in portuguese public hospitals.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: This is a randomized control trial with two groups: the Treatment As Usual control group (TAU group) and the APOLO-Teens web-based intervention group (APOLO-Teens group). Adolescents attending a medical appointment scheduled for any multidisciplinary obesity appointment at a public Portuguese health facility will be invited to participate. The criteria for inclusion/exclusion will be given to the healthcare professionals conducting these medical appointments, to screen for potential participants. After completing the baseline assessment participants will be consecutively randomized to the Treatment As Usual control group (TAU group) or the APOLO-Teens web-based intervention group (APOLO-Teens group). Participants in the APOLO-Teens group received the APOLO-Teens web-based intervention in addition to their treatment as usual (TAU).
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Adolescent; Web-based intervention; Health promotion; Eating Behaviors