The impact of Curtin University's activity, food and attitudes program on physical activity, sedentary time and fruit, vegetable and junk food consumption among overweight and obese adolescents: a waitlist controlled trial

• Published in: PloS one 2014-11, Vol.9 (11), p.e111954-e111954
• Main Authors: Straker, Leon M, Howie, Erin K, Smith, Kyla L, Fenner, Ashley A, Kerr, Deborah A, Olds, Tim S, Abbott, Rebecca A, Smith, Anne J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accelerometers; Adolescent; Adolescent obesity; Adolescents; Attitudes; Australia; Body weight; Child development; Children & youth; Clinical trials; Community participation; Control methods; Councils; Diet; Eating behavior; Energy; Exercise; Families & family life; Feeding Behavior; Female; Food; Food consumption; Fruits; Fruits (Food); Health Behavior; Health care; Humans; Intervention; Interviews as Topic; Male; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Motor Activity; Nutrition research; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - psychology; Obesity - therapy; Overweight; Overweight - epidemiology; Overweight - psychology; Overweight - therapy; Parents; Participation; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Product development; School Health Services; Science; Sedentary behavior; Short message service; Studies; Systematic review; Teenagers; Text Messaging; Universities; Universities and colleges; Vegetables; Waiting Lists; Weight control
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111954

To determine the effects of participation in Curtin University's Activity, Food and Attitudes Program (CAFAP), a community-based, family-centered behavioural intervention, on the physical activity, sedentary time, and healthy eating behaviours of overweight and obese adolescents. In this waitlist controlled clinical trial in Western Australia, adolescents (n = 69, 71% female, mean age 14.1 (SD 1.6) years) and parents completed an 8-week intervention followed by 12 months of telephone and text message support. Assessments were completed at baseline, before beginning the intervention, immediately following the intervention, and at 3-, 6-, and 12- months follow-up. The primary outcomes were physical activity and sedentary time assessed by accelerometers and servings of fruit, vegetables and junk food assessed by 3-day food records. During the intensive 8-week intervention sedentary time decreased by -5.1 min/day/month (95% CI: -11.0, 0.8) which was significantly greater than the rate of change during the waitlist period (p = .014). Moderate physical activity increased by 1.8 min/day/month (95% CI: -0.04, 3.6) during the intervention period, which was significantly greater than the rate of change during the waitlist period (p = .041). Fruit consumption increased during the intervention period (monthly incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.3, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.56) and junk food consumption decreased (monthly IRR 0.8, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.94) and these changes were different to those seen during the waitlist period (p = .004 and p = .020 respectively). Participating in CAFAP appeared to have a positive influence on the physical activity, sedentary and healthy eating behaviours of overweight and obese adolescents and many of these changes were maintained for one year following the intensive intervention. Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12611001187932.