ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study examined the influence of step goals with pedometers to improve children's weight loss, physical activity, and psychosocial health during obesity treatment. METHODS: Overweight and obese children ages 8-17 years (n = 105) participated in a 10-week family-based weight management intervention, including physical activity, nutrition, and behavioral modification. A quasi-experimental design was used to group eight cohorts into three conditions: no pedometer (n = 24), pedometer only (n = 25), and pedometer with step goals (i.e., 500 steps/day weekly increase above baseline; n = 56). Height and weight were measured at baseline and week 10 and used to calculate BMI. Analysis of covariance was performed to examine difference by condition for change in weight, BMI, and BMI z-score, controlling for age and baseline value. Differences in steps per day and psychosocial health were compared between the two pedometer conditions. RESULTS: Participants were 12.4 ± 2.5 years of age, including 70% girls and 64% African Americans. The pedometer with goals condition significantly reduced BMI (p = 0.02) and BMI z-score (p = 0.01) compared with the no-pedometer group. The pedometer with goals condition significantly increased steps per day (+1185 ± 425 steps/day) compared with the pedometer-only condition (-162 ± 620 steps/day; p < 0.05). Both pedometer groups similarly increased in subjective health and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Providing children with pedometers and individualized step goals was an effective approach to produce weight loss. Further work is needed to increase the strength of interventions to achieve clinically meaningful weight reduction for children with obesity.
Subject(s)
Behavior Therapy/instrumentation , Behavior Therapy/methods , Exercise , Goals , Pediatric Obesity/therapy , Adolescent , Black or African American , Body Mass Index , Child , Diet , Female , Health Promotion , Humans , Male , Nutrition Therapy , Psychology , Walking/physiology , Weight Loss , White PeopleABSTRACT
Metastatic cutaneous Crohn's disease is a rare complication of Crohn's disease, especially in the pediatric population, and can present a diagnostic dilemma. Most of the reported cases of metastatic cutaneous Crohn's disease in childhood have concurrent gastrointestinal symptoms and/or perianal disease to aid in the diagnosis. We present a case of a 13 1/2-year-old girl whose initial symptom of Crohn's disease was asymptomatic labial swelling. An overview of metastatic cutaneous Crohn's disease in childhood is also provided.
