Parents' perspective on weight management interventions for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Background Adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have high rates of obesity. However, little research has been conducted demonstrating effective strategies and barriers for weight loss or weight management in adolescents with IDD. Furthermore, parents play a large role in terms of weight management in children and adolescents with IDD, and their views should be taken into consideration when designing a diet and PA intervention for weight management. Objective The aims of this study are to better understand the parents' perspectives on the strategies and barriers for helping children and adolescents with IDD be successful in a weight management program and to identify how this information to guide future approaches. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 18 parents whose children had just finished a diet and PA intervention. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was performed. Results Parents reported a positive attitude toward the program, liked the convenience of the program, and felt that they learned beneficial strategies to encourage healthy habits in the home. Parents found time to be a major barrier to supporting their child with a diet and PA intervention. Parents were willing to change their own dietary behaviors to help their children successfully follow a weight loss intervention; however, no parent reported changing their own PA levels. Conclusion Future diet and PA studies should aim to reduce parental time commitment and increase importance of PA.