LAUSR

Purpose of study Obesity has been declared a global epidemic by The World Health Organisation and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In the county of San Bernardino, where our intervention was held, almost three quarters of adults are overweight. Recent reports show 38% of San Bernardino County adults were overweight, 34% obese and 27% with a healthy body weight, in contrast to 35.8% of adults in California. The Operation Fit program is a week-long summer day camp that was developed in part to address this health concern in children and adolescents. Critical appraisal of obesity prevention programs for children and youth, however, suggest that modest results of efforts among this group can be linked to lack of reinforcing efforts by parents at home. Methods used Our program sought to address this need by providing incentivized health screening and telephone based health coaching to parents of participants in the Operation Fit program that encouraged and motivated positive health behaviours. Summary of results Results from this pilot program highlighted key strategies for appropriate conceptualization and program implementation in community based settings. It furthermore identified key strategies, such as appropriate curricular adaptation and physician presence, involvement and recommendation to encourage continued coaching engagement. Conclusions While telephone coaching appears to be an effective modality for behavioural modification among parents of obese youth, continued efforts are needed to further elucidate optimal strategies in reinforcing positive behaviours among families in high-risk communities.