The effects of participation in an obesity summer camp on perceived self-efficacy and weight control in obese Thai children.

ABSTRACT

Obesity is a condition that can play a very significant role on the health of children who are growing up into maturity. The effects of obesity include increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Its major causes are excessive eating, lack of restraint, and easily gratifying their desire for tasty food. If an adjustment can be made to their perception and behavior so that they can define the volume of food consumed then these obese children are capable of monitoring their weight and are able to reduce the risk of illness as a consequence of obesity without needing weight control pills which can be detrimental to their health. The most important factor that can help to change obese children's behavior is their perceived self-efficiency in monitoring their weight by self-control practiced by dieting and balanced excercise using the support of other members of the obese children group. Participation in the summer camp for obese children has the following objectives to promote their perceived self-efficacy; to make an adjustment to their consumption and exercise behavior, and to make them aware of the effects of obesity. The activities of the project comprised of education relating to obese children and their parents, restriction of energy intake to 800 Kcal/d, participation in group activities and exercise e.g. swimming, aerobics, and visual education without administration of weight control tablets for 4 weeks, 5 days/week. After completing of the summer camp, group meetings were held occasionally to assess their perceived self-efficacy. The results of monitoring the behavior of 20 obese children participating in project with BMI ranging from 26-41 Kg/m2, with age range of 10-15 years, were assessed by data collection by questionnaires concerning perceived self-efficacy, a BMI Assessment Form, and the data analysed using paired t-test. The results of the assessment on the last day of the summer camp and 12 weeks after the late day found that obese children had an increased perceived self-efficacy at a statistically significant level of P<.001 on both occasions. It can be concluded therefore that participation in a summer camp by obese children made them have aware of their ability to control their weight and that they could decrease their weight without needing weight control pills.