A Study to Determine the Effectiveness of a Self-regulation Program to Treat Pediatric Obesity

Summary

The objective of this study is to pilot test, evaluate and compare the effects of Cue Reactivity and Sensitivity Training (CRST) and Children's Appetite Awareness Training (CAAT) in 48 children aged 8-12 years old. The central hypothesis is that CRST and CAAT will reduce eating in the absence of hunger in overweight children immediately following treatment and 6-months post treatment.

The primary aim of this proposed study is to evaluate the efficacy and compare the effectiveness of Cue Responsivity and Sensitivity Training (CRST) or Children's Appetite Awareness Training (CAAT) in decreasing eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) in overweight children. Following this first intervention, a second intervention to determine the efficacy of a combination program (combined CAAT \& CRST) will be implemented.

The secondary aim of this study is to evaluate change in the following related measures for both children and adults who participated in CRST, CAAT, and the combination program: BMI for age, food intake, perceptions of control over eating, and self-efficacy in managing high-risk food situations.

Conditions

• Obesity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

CAAT: Appetite Awareness

Participants in this Children's Appetite Awareness Training (CAAT) group learn to get in touch with the internal cues of hunger - aka the "hunger meter" - and practice skills to get back in touch with these internal cues of true hunger and fullness. Sessions occur once a week for 8 weeks.

BEHAVIORAL

CRST: Volcravo

Participants in this Cue Reactivity and Sensitivity Training (CRST) group learn about how external cues can affect when and how much we eat (aka "volcravo - the craving volcano"). Over 8 weekly sessions, they practice skills to ride out the cravings external cues can cause.

BEHAVIORAL

Combined CAAT and CRST program

Participants meet weekly for 14 weeks to learn about both Children's Appetite Awareness Training (CAAT) and Cue Reactivity and Sensitivity Training (CRST) - i.e. appetite awareness and external cues that affect food intake.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Minnesota

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kerri Boutelle, PhD · University of Minnesota, now Univ of CA, San Diego

• Lisa J Harnack, DrPH · University of Minnesota

• Carol Peterson, PhD · University of Minnesota

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

8 Years

Max Age

12 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2008-05-31

Primary Completion

2010-11-30

Completion

2010-11-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations