REthiNking Approaches to Excess Weight in AdoLescents (RENEWAL): a randomised feasibility trial to assess a digital Intervention for managing excess weight in adolescents with overweight and obesity

Research summary

Approximately one in three adolescents aged thirteen to seventeen years is above a healthy weight. Excess weight in adolescents can lead to both physical and mental health concerns and often persists into adulthood. Behavioural weight management interventions are currently regarded as best practice in obesity treatment for children and adolescents. Unfortunately success on these programmes is limited and often non-existant when delivered at scale or over the long term. Therefore a new and novel approach is needed to treat excess weight in adolescents. Digital interventions are interventions delivered virtually either through a website,computer programme,virtual coach or mobile app. Studies in other fields have shown promise results when using digital interventions for work with adolescents and preliminary studies using digital interventions for weight loss also show promise. Despite this there are no studies based in the United Kingdom showing the use of a digital intervention for weight management in adolescents. Our study aims to test whether it is possible to use a mobile app for treating excess weight in overweight and obese adolescents. We will monitor the impact of the intervention on weight,nutrition,physical activity and self-esteem as well as monitoring engagement levels and satisfaction. If successful,we will progress to a bigger study to investigate whether this intervention can support adolescents to reach a healthy weight.

Principal Investigator

Ms Melissa Little

Contact us

Email: childrensresearch@ouh.nhs.uk

IRAS number

316058