Among Multiple Mental Health Symptoms, Only Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems Predict Poorer BMI Outcomes in Family‐Based Behavioural Treatment for Youth With Severe Obesity
Authors' conclusion
Higher scores of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADH) Problems were associated with a smaller reduction in BMI (0.31 units for %IOTF25 (p = 0.02), 0.01 units for BMIz (p = 0.03) for each one-unit T-score increase on the ADH problem scale).
Study context
- Population
- Youth 5.9–18.6 years (mean ± SD: 13.2 ± 3.1; 58.9% girls) with severe obesity in a 17-session family-based treatment (FBT) programme; baseline %IOTF25 146 ± 13, BMIz 3.02 ± 0.52
- Participants
- 90 participants
- Exposure
- Mental health predictors of BMI outcomes during FBT
- Outcome
- Change in BMI (%IOTF25 and BMIz) during FBT
Methodological detailsmultivariate multilevel Bayesian linear mixed-effects model with repeated measures
- Multivariate multilevel Bayesian linear mixed-effects model with repeated measures
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Association of mental health predictors with BMI change during FBT
Smaller BMI reduction per one-unit T-score increase on the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADH) problem scale, %IOTF25 (p = 0.02)
0.31 units
Smaller BMI reduction per one-unit T-score increase on the ADH problem scale, BMIz (p = 0.03)
0.01 units
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Average change in BMI during FBT
- Average change in %IOTF25
- −3.80
- Average change in BMIz
- −0.08
Original publication
Among Multiple Mental Health Symptoms, Only Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems Predict Poorer BMI Outcomes in Family‐Based Behavioural Treatment for Youth With Severe Obesity. Pediatr Obes. Published 31 August 2026. doi:10.
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