Addressing Weight Bias Internalization to Improve Adolescent Weight Management Outcomes: Open Trial (SWIFT)

Lifespan

Status: Completed

Conditions: Weight Bias; Weight Stigma; Body Weight; Weight

Treatments: Behavioral: Weight Bias Internalization; Behavioral: Behavioral Weight Management

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06389656

1K23DK135791-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

Weight stigma and weight bias internalization (WBI) are common among adolescents at higher weight statuses. WBI is associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes. The current study aims to test intervention for weight stigma and WBI in conjunction with an evidence-based adolescent weight management program. Adolescents (ages 13-17) will participate in a 20-week program tailored to improve WBI and weight-related health behaviors in tandem. Primary outcomes are feasibility and acceptability of the developed intervention, assessed following the 20-week intervention.

Full description

The overall goal of this project is to examine the impact of intervening on weight bias internalization (WBI) in conjunction with evidence-based adolescent behavioral weight management (BWM) and to assess reduction in key mechanisms of stress resulting from weight stigma (i.e., biological markers of stress and inflammation, dysregulated eating behaviors) and subsequent impact on weight loss interference resulting from WBI. An open trial with 16 adolescents (2 cohorts; 8/group) will be conducted to test initial acceptability and feasibility of the 20-week WBI+BWM intervention in an open trial. Quantitative and qualitative feedback concerning acceptability and feasibility will be solicited to refine the intervention. Participants are adolescents (ages 13-17 years old) at higher weight status (BMI percentile at or equal to the 95th percentile) will participate in a 20-session weekly intervention focused on weight bias internalization and healthy weight management strategies.

Enrollment: 17 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 13 to 17 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• speak English
• 13-17 years of age
• BMI at or above >95th%ile for age and sex
• have at least one caregiver available to provide consent and participate in sessions
• agree to study participation

Exclusion criteria

• Cognitive impairment or developmental delay impairing participation in a group setting
• Current participation in a weight management program or recent weight loss of 5% of body weight or more
• Medical condition known to impact weight or that would otherwise prevent participation

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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17 participants in 1 patient group

WBI+BWM

Experimental group

Description:

WBI+BWM will be a multicomponent behavioral weight loss intervention designed to address both weight bias internalization and weight status in adolescents. The first four sessions of the intervention will be focused on targeted WBI/weight stigma content, followed by 16 sessions addressing both weight stigma/WBI and evidence-based weight management strategies. Weekly meetings are scheduled for 75 minutes and are facilitated by a behavioral expert (e.g., PhD in clinical psychology). Caregivers attend 4 of the 20 weekly groups with their teens.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behavioral Weight Management

Behavioral: Weight Bias Internalization