Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for Obesity in African American Youth

Summary

Despite the dramatic increase in obesity and Type II Diabetes in adolescents, documented effective treatments for obesity and the consequential prevention of Type II Diabetes are scarce. Modification of food and activity choices is the foundation of obesity treatment; however, adolescents may find it difficult to follow recommended diet and exercise programs. This study uses a home-based treatment, Multisystemic Therapy (MST), to target change within the individual, family and environmental contexts. Participants are 49 obese (BMI\>95th percentile) African American adolescents (ages 12-17). 24 were randomized to receive the MST intervention and 25 were placed in Shapedown, a family group program. Families were recruited from the only university-affiliated medical center in Detroit, Michigan. Michigan's youth have higher rates of obesity, overweight, hypertension, and elevated cholesterol compared to the national average, and Detroit has the highest percentage of African Americans of any major city in the US. Families complete measurements at the start of the treatment, at the end of the treatment and one year after enrollment. We expect to find that youth in the MST group will show more weight loss and greater improvements in diet (e.g., caloric intake and exercise behaviors than will youth in Shapedown. These changes in food choices, activity levels, and weight are expected to remain after the end of treatment. This intervention is intended to provide immediate assistance to a vulnerable population disproportionately affected by obesity and its long-term health complications.

Conditions

• Obesity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Multisystemic Therapy (MST)

MST is an intensive, family centered, community based treatment originally designed for use with adolescents presenting with serious mental health problems. In this study, MST interventions are aimed at increasing adolescent and family adherence to dietary and exercise recommendations and targeting barriers within the family system, and the broader community systems within which the family is embedded (peers, schools, health care). Decreasing caloric consumption consistent with recommended intake targets, increasing daily exercise and decreasing sedentary activity, are treatment focuses depending on whether the adolescent has difficulty with this aspect of weight management or not.

BEHAVIORAL

Shapedown

Shapedown, is a clinic-based, adolescent weight loss intervention. Shapedown utilizes psycho educational, behavior, and family therapy techniques in a 10-week group intervention. In order to match MST's length of intervention (6 months), three follow-up sessions are added at monthly intervals.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• American Diabetes Association

  collaborator OTHER

• Wayne State University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sylvie Naar-King, Ph.D. · Wayne State University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

12 Years

Max Age

17 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2005-05-31

Primary Completion

2007-11-30

Completion

2007-11-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations