Oral Presentation ESA-SRB-ANZOS 2025 in conjunction with ENSA

Dietetic support provided to adolescents with obesity during an intensive behavioural weight management intervention (128343)

Eve T House 1 2 , Nicola Berry 3 , Hiba Jebeile 1 2 , Natalie B Lister 1 2 , Megan L Gow 1 , On behalf of the Fast Track to Health study team 1
  1. The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
  2. The Institue of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
  3. Nutrition and Dietetics Group, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Multi-component lifestyle interventions are the first-line treatment for adolescent obesity; understanding the dietetic resourcing required to deliver such interventions is important for informing future service design. This study aimed to describe the dietetic time, support, and resources provided to adolescents with obesity participating in a behavioural weight management intervention. Fast Track to Health (HREC/17/SCHN/164), a 52-week RCT, recruited 141 adolescents with obesity and related cardiometabolic complications. Adolescents followed a four-week very-low-energy diet (Phase 1) followed by intermittent (IER) or continuous (CER) energy restriction. Frequency of dietetic consults/support reduced between Phase 2 (week 5-16) and 3 (week 17-52). The intervention included 13 dietetic consults and 9 scheduled supports (email/phone/text), and 40 resources were available for distribution. Descriptive statistics summarised dietetic time, scheduled supports used, and number and type of resources provided to participants. Consult time and resources provided were compared by study phase using Friedman and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Study completers (n=97) spent a mean(SD) of 9.4(2.8) hours in dietitian visits throughout the 52-week trial and were provided 11(3) resources. Median(IQR) time per dietitian visit among all participants (n=141) was 46(16) minutes, with 12(3.5) visits, and 4(4) scheduled supports per participant. Dietitian time per visit was higher in Phase 1 (median(IQR)=50(18) minutes) than Phases 2 (42(19) minutes) and 3 (45(24) minutes) (χ2=33.9, p<0.001). The number of resources provided per participant decreased over time (Phase 1 – 5(2); Phase 2 – 3(3); Phase 3 – 2(2)) (χ2=134.3, p<0.001). Frequently used resources included healthy snack and recipe ideas (n=158), low calorie recipes (n=104) and calorie counting guides (n=98). Our results indicate that adolescents require support with food selection and preparation during a behavioural weight management intervention. Despite an intensive schedule of dietetic support, the total contact time with the dietitian did not meet paediatric obesity clinical practice guideline recommendations (≥26 hours(1)).

  1. Hampl SE, Hassink SG, Skinner AC, Armstrong SC, Barlow SE, Bolling CF, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity. Pediatrics. 2023;151(2).