Motivational support programme to enhance health and well‐being and promote weight loss in overweight and obese adolescents: A randomized controlled trial in Turkey.

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect on health, well‐being and weight loss of a motivational support programme provided for adolescents who were overweight and obese. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial. Sixty‐four adolescents (39 girls and 25 boys) who were overweight and obese and consulted at our polyclinic from January 2015 to February 2016 comprised the study population. The sociodemographic characteristics, well‐being levels and physical parameters of the adolescents were evaluated. Routine follow‐ups were practiced for both groups. The adolescents in the experimental group had motivational interviews and were sent reminder messages over a 6‐month period, and education programmes were conducted with the parents. Results: After 6 months, the body mass index values had decreased in the experimental group compared with baseline, with no decrease in the controls. Scores for the Paediatric Quality of Life total scale and physical health and psychosocial health subscale points were increased in experimental and control groups, but the quality of life scale points of the experimental group were higher than the control group. In the experimental group, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) and total cholesterol were decreased. Conclusion: The motivational support programme affected the adolescents' health positively and can be recommended as a routine nursing intervention. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about this topic? Obesity is increasing in the world and becoming an important public health problem.Childhood obesity can critically affect health outcomes.Effective preventive interventions are greatly needed to decrease the prevalence of childhood obesity. What this paper adds? The motivational support programme that was provided to obese and overweight adolescents decreased their body mass index.The motivational support programme positively affected biochemical values and quality of life in adolescents who were obese and overweight.The present study found that this motivational support programme with parental involvement was an effective strategy in changing obesity‐related outcomes. Implications of this paper: Nurses evaluate adolescents who present to hospitals with other health problems and play an important role in recognizing overweight or obesityNurses could learn to apply this programme to decrease future health problems.Motivational support programmes can be applied to obese children and adolescents admitted to obesity clinics and their use should be more widespread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]