Improving Health Among Disadvantaged Girls to Slow Pubertal Onset and Reduce Long-term Health Risks

This study is testing whether improving health in girls during the prepubertal period may slow the onset of puberty. This study will focus on prepubertal girls who have a high weight status (at or above the 85th percentile for body mass index). Half of the girls who join the study will participate in a treatment program to reduce weight and improve lifestyle behaviors, and half of the girls will participate in a control condition. The frequency of pubertal onset will be compared across the groups. This research is important because girls who experience puberty at an earlier age are at risk for poor psychological and physical health.

Girls in the treatment condition will participate in the Family Based Treatment (FBT) program, an established treatment for children who are overweight or obese. Families attend 20 weekly sessions (30 minutes each) over a 5-month period. Sessions are led by a trained interventionist and focus on healthy eating and physical activity behaviors.

Girls in the control condition will receive their usual medical care through their pediatric care doctor or other care provider. Families will also receive educational handouts about 1 time per month, addressing topics related to healthy eating and physical activity behaviors.

Families in both the treatment and control conditions will participate in assessments conducted at baseline and approximately 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, 30-, and 36 months follow-up. These assessments are led by a data collector and include the measurement of height and weight, pubertal status, and health behaviors.