Treatment of obesity for adolescent Hispanic females : comparison between treatment as usual and a mental-health focused, skills-building intervention

The purpose of the present study is to examine group differences between Hispanic adolescent females participating in a mental health focused obesity intervention and those in a treatment-as-usual (control) condition on Body Mass Index (BMI), self-esteem, coping strategies, and binge eating symptoms. The intervention teaches skills useful in managing emotions and situations impacting weight. Treatment-as-usual entails attending weight management clinic appointments. Participants will be obese Hispanic adolescent females attending a weight management clinic at a children's hospital in Texas. BMI will be taken and self-report questionnaires addressing self-esteem, coping strategies, and binge eating symptoms will be completed by participants pre- and post-intervention. Analysis of covariance, controlling for scores pre-intervention, will be utilized to examine group differences. It is hypothesized that participants in the ACES PLUS condition will demonstrate greater gains in self-esteem, coping strategies, and decreased binge eating symptoms and BMI relative to their treatment as usual counterparts. Implications for future research include additional focus on skills-building addressing psychosocial challenges faced by obese adolescent females in the treatment of pediatric obesity within this population.