The effect of posttreatment telephone contact upon adolescent weight losses achieved in a multicomponent behavioral treatment program

Walsh-Doran, Mary S. (1984) The effect of posttreatment telephone contact upon adolescent weight losses achieved in a multicomponent behavioral treatment program. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The present study was designed to evaluate a strategy for enhancing maintenance of weight losses achieved in a standard 8-week multicomponent behavioral weight management program for overweight adolescents. Telephone contact with adolescents and their parents was gradually reduced over a 6-month period after the behavioral treatment program terminated. Thirty-one adolescents, ages 12-16 years, were recruited through newspaper advertisements and a memo distributed to a variety of health professionals and school guidance counsellors. Subjects were required to be at least 20% overweight, not to be involved in other weight loss programs, to have a parent willing to read weekly handouts from a parent manual and complete weekly assignments, and to have personal goals towards improved physical well-being. -- Following the weight management program, 26 subjects (6 males and 20 females) were randomly assigned to Maintenance (M) (telephone contact) or Nonmaintenance (NM) (no telephone contact) groups. Each group contained equal numbers of high, medium, and low weight losers and both genders. All subjects were seen for assessment at 3- and 6-months after the treatment program. -- There were no significant differences as a result of the posttreatment maintenance strategy on pounds lost, change in percentage overweight, weight index, change in weight index, triceps skinfold, self-esteem, and mean adherence ratings. Nor were there any significant interaction effects. Significant time effects were present for weight change and change in percentage overweight. Although subjects weighed significantly less at posttreatment than at pretreatment and were significantly lower in percentage overweight at 6 months than at 3 months, there was no differential effect of the posttreatment telephone contact. Subjects who lost weight (Losers) during the treatment program were compared with subjects who gained (Gainers) during the treatment program. Gainers continued to gain while Losers maintained their weight losses at 3- and 6-month follow-up. No differential effect of the posttreatment maintenance contact was demonstrated. -- Possible reasons for failure to demonstrate an effect for posttreatment telephone contact and suggestions for further research are discussed.

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