Improvement of Fitness in Obese Children

Penn State Health

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pediatric Obesity

Treatments: Other: Home exercise; Other: Exercise class

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03483454

00007398

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study observes fitness level and health parameters in children ages 6-12 years old with obesity using an exercise class intervention.

Full description

The purpose of this study is to improve physical fitness and health parameters in elementary-aged children who participate in an academic weight loss clinic. Patients and their parents are randomly assigned to either take exercise classes or to continue standard care (control group). Exercise classes are run at a local church 3 times a week for 8 weeks and children and parents are expected to participate. Parents are expected to follow similar dietary and exercise recommendations which are given to their children. Vitals, lab work and fitness testing are done on children at beginning, middle and end of the 6- month study. Vitals are done on parents at the beginning, middle and end of the study. Children are given Fitbits to record sleep patterns and daily physical activity.

Enrollment: 26 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 6 to 12 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Child must be a patient at the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital Pediatric Multidisciplinary Weight Loss Program
• Child must be ages 6-12 years old

Exclusion criteria

• Lack of transportation to exercise classes
• Parents do not agree to participate in the exercise classes

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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26 participants in 2 patient groups

Exercise classes

Experimental group

Description:

This group of children and their parents will participate in an exercise class for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Exercise class

Home exercise

Experimental group

Description:

This group of children and their parents will participate in exercise at home for 8 weeks. This is currently the standard of care in the weight management clinic (advise to continue increasing activity at home). This group is considered the "control group."

Treatment:

Other: Home exercise