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Family education and therapy
A study was conducted at the Childhood Obesity Unit in Malmo, Sweden to study the effect of family therapy in obese children regarding both body composition and
quality of life.
Thirty-three obese children referred from school health-care nurses and outpatient clinics, aged 6-17 years, were treated for one year. Solution-based and structural family therapy were provided by a multidisciplinary team. A family self-assessment and an assessment of quality of life were filled in before and after the intervention.
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The relative body mass index was calculated using the Swedish national standard growth charts. As a result, a significant reduction was found after treatment for the whole group and those treated more than one year (3.4% and 3.0%, respectively). The lean body mass measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Assessment (BIA) showed an increase from 53.8% to 55.9% and quality of life was analyzed using stanine scales of “I think I am” questionnaire.
The family self-assessment was filled in by the parents and showed an improvement after the intervention. The research team concluded that obesity treatment using family therapy given by a multidisciplinary team is effective in a clinical setting improving both obesity and quality of life.
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