Diabetes screening outcomes in youth presenting for paediatric weight management: A report of the Paediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry.

Objective: Rising prevalence of obesity has led to increased rates of prediabetes and diabetes mellitus (DM) in children. This study compares rates of prediabetes and diabetes using two recommended screening tests (fasting plasma glucose [FPG] and haemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]).

Study Design: Data were collected prospectively from 37 multi-component paediatric weight management programs in POWER (Paediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry).

Treating Children and Adolescents With Obesity: Characteristics of Success.

Factors related to clinically meaningful outcomes for pediatric patients seeking care for severe obesity are not well known. Examining patient-level and program-level characteristics related to success may inform future care. : To determine factors associated with a clinically significant reduction in weight status measured by %BMIp95 after 6 months of treatment.

Seasonal variability in body mass index change among children enrolled in the Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry: A step in the right direction.

Background: Research has shown children disproportionately gain excess weight over the summer months (vs. school months), with stronger effects for children with obesity. However, the question has not been investigated among children receiving care in paediatric weight management (PWM) programs.

Challenges and solutions to sustaining paediatric weight management programs in the United States.

Paediatric weight management (PWM) programs in the United States (US) face challenges in providing sustainable multidisciplinary care for patients. The aim of this study was to report PWM program approaches to sustaining program delivery. A survey of 39 PWM programs was administered to identify challenges and solutions to program sustainability.

Patient Retention in Pediatric Weight Management Programs in the United States: Analyses of Data from the Pediatrics Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry.

Meeting recommended provider contact hours in multicomponent pediatric weight management (PWM) programs is difficult when patient retention is low. Our objective was to examine associations between individual patient characteristics, program characteristics, and patient retention. Using the Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry, a prospective longitudinal study of 32 PWM programs, we included children (≤18 years;  = 6502) enrolled for a full year.

The Impact of Obesity on Disease Severity and Outcomes Among Hospitalized Children With COVID-19.

Objective: To describe the impact of obesity on disease severity and outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among hospitalized children.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study from the Society of Critical Care Medicine Viral Respiratory Illness Universal Study registry included all children hospitalized with COVID-19 from March 2020 to January 2021. Obesity was defined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI or World Health Organization weight for length criteria.

Cross-sectional comparisons of gut microbiome and short-chain fatty acid levels among children with varied weight classifications.

Background: Limited studies associate changes in microbiota composition and metabolites among children and adolescents with obesity. Decreases in compositional diversity, increases in the proportion of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes (F/B ratio) and increases in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have been proposed as contributing factors in the pathophysiology of obesity.

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to characterize the faecal microbiota composition, diversity, F/B ratio and SCFA levels in different weight categories (lean, overweight, obesity classes 1-3) of children ages 5 to 12 years.

Health Outcomes of Youth in Clinical Pediatric Weight Management Programs in POWER.

Objective: To describe treatment outcomes of children and adolescents enrolled in the Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry, a consortium of multicomponent pediatric weight management programs in the US.

Study Design: This multicenter prospective observational cohort study, established in 2013, includes youth (2-18 years of age) with obesity enrolled from 31 Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry (POWER) sites over a 2-year period and followed up to 12 months. Weight status was evaluated by the percentage of the 95th percentile for body mass index (%BMIp95).

Dehydration: A Multidisciplinary Case-Based Discussion for First-Year Medical Students.

Introduction: As many medical school curricula shift to integrated learning of multiple basic science topics as well as clinical concepts, there is an increasing need for instructional materials that incorporate multiple topics yet are targeted to the knowledge basis of first-year medical students. This interactive case-based session for first-year medical students centers on the clinical presentation and initial evaluation of a patient experiencing dehydration after running a marathon in a high-altitude city.

Methods: After completion of assigned out-of-class preparation, students followed the patient from a healthy state to moderate dehydration over the course of two 2-hour class sessions.

Electronic Gaming Characteristics Associated with Class 3 Severe Obesity in Youth Who Attend the Pediatric Weight Management Programs of the COMPASS Network.

Background: The prevalence of severe obesity and electronic game use among youth has increased over time.

Methods: We administered a survey assessing gaming and psycho-demographic characteristics to youth aged 11-17 attending five weight management programs. We conducted chi-square and logistic regression analyses to describe the association between class 3 severe obesity and gaming characteristics.

Application of the Medical Neighborhood to Children with Severe Obesity.

Background: Growth in the prevalence of severe pediatric obesity and tertiary care pediatric weight management programs supports the application of chronic disease management models to the care of children with severe obesity. One such model, the medical neighborhood, aims to optimize care coordination between primary and tertiary care by applying principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home to all providers.

Methods: An exploration of the literature was performed describing effective programs, approaches, and coordinated care models applied to pediatric weight management and other chronic conditions.

Community Healthcare and Technology to Enhance Communication in Pediatric Obesity Care.

Childhood obesity continues to be a critical healthcare issue and a paradigm of a pervasive chronic disease affecting even our youngest children. When considered within the context of the socioecological model, the factors that influence weight status, including the social determinants of health, limit the impact of multidisciplinary care that occurs solely within the medical setting. Coordinated care that incorporates communication between the healthcare and community sectors is necessary to more effectively prevent and treat obesity.

Weight Loss Surgery in Adolescents.

Childhood obesity continues to be a national health problem, with growing numbers of adolescents (8.7%) affected by severe obesity and its associated cardiometabolic risks. Since current nonsurgical methods for treating these adolescents have only modest effects, weight loss surgery (WLS) is an alternative treatment.

Problem Video Gaming Among Children Enrolled in Tertiary Weight Management Programs.

Prior studies show seven percent to nine percent of children demonstrate gaming behaviors that affect a child's ability to function (e.g., problem gaming), but none have examined the association between problem gaming and weight status.

Expectations for Treatment in Pediatric Weight Management and Relationship to Attrition.

Background: Attrition in pediatric weight management negatively impacts treatment outcomes. A potentially modifiable contributor to attrition is unmet family expectations. This study aimed to evaluate the association between adolescent and parent/guardian treatment expectations and attrition.

Exergaming for Health: A Randomized Study of Community-Based Exergaming Curriculum in Pediatric Weight Management.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and sustainable impact of a multifaceted community-based weight intervention program for children, including exergaming curriculum.

Methods: Eighty overweight or obese children, aged 8-12 years, were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to an Exergaming for Health intervention group, comprising both exergaming and classroom curriculum, or to a control group with classroom curriculum alone. Outcome measures included body mass index (BMI), z-score change, and shuttle runs to assess cardiorespiratory endurance.

Social/Electronic Media Use of Children and Adolescents Who Attend the Pediatric Weight Management Programs of the COMPASS Network.

Background: Obesity is a major healthcare problem in youth and their social/electronic media (SEM) use has been described as a risk factor. Though much is known about the newer technologies youth use to communicate, little is known about what is used by those in weight management programs. The aim of this study was to determine what types of SEM, including sedentary and active video games, youth in weight management programs use and which they prefer for communicating with healthcare providers.

Pairing motivational interviewing with a nutrition and physical activity assessment and counseling tool in pediatric clinical practice: a pilot study.

Background: Recommendations to screen and counsel for lifestyle behaviors can be challenging to implement during well-child visits in the primary care setting. A practice intervention was piloted using the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) Screening Tool paired with a motivational interviewing (MI)-based counseling tool during well-child visits. Acceptability and feasibility of this intervention were assessed.

Exergaming for health: a community-based pediatric weight management program using active video gaming.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of a multifaceted, community-based weight intervention program for children using exergaming technology (activity-promoting video gaming).

Design And Methods: This is a prospective observational pilot study. Forty-eight children, between the ages of 8 and 16 years, who are overweight or obese, enrolled in Exergaming for Health, a multidisciplinary weight management program, which used active video gaming.