In their own words: learning from families attending a multidisciplinary pediatric weight management program at the YMCA.

BACKGROUND: A family-based multidisciplinary weight management program for obese children 7-11 years old was implemented by a pediatric weight management center and local YMCA. The purpose of this study was to explore parents' and children's perceptions of the program to gain insight about factors that may enhance engagement and retention of families in weight management treatment.
METHODS: Families were invited to participate in a telephone interview after their participation in the program. The interviews assessed satisfaction with program components, acceptability of the intervention, barriers to treatment participation, and suggestions for improvement.
RESULTS: A total of 34 semistructured telephone interviews were performed, including 19 parents and 15 children. The majority of children (mean age=9.2±1.5 years) interviewed were female (74%) and recipients of Medicaid (79%). The population was racially diverse (63% black, 26% white, 11% other). Results suggest families were generally very positive about the program and viewed the major components of the program as helpful (i.e., nutrition, exercise, behavior). Families particularly enjoyed exercise and cooking demonstrations, whereas self-monitoring activities and learning about behavior change strategies were less enjoyable. Parents noted that increasing the length of individual sessions would likely be beneficial. Families who did not complete the program cited factors such as transportation barriers (e.g., gas money, distance), scheduling conflicts, and unmet expectations as contributing to their decision to discontinue participation.
CONCLUSIONS: This study may have implications for how to enhance family-based pediatric weight management programs for children ages 7-11 years.