Abstract

Objectives To explore the feasibility of conducting a 10-week home-based physical activity (PA) programme and evaluate the changes in insulin sensitivity (S_I) commensurate with the programme in obese young people.

Design Open-labelled intervention.

Setting Home-based intervention with clinical assessments at a tertiary paediatric hospital.

Subjects 18 obese (body mass index (BMI)>International Obesity Task Force age and sex-specific cut-offs) children and adolescents (8–18 years, 11 girls/7 boys) were recruited. 15 participants (nine girls/six boys, mean±SE age 11.8±0.6 years, BMI-SD scores (BMI-SDS) 3.5±0.1, six prepubertal/nine pubertal) completed the intervention.

Intervention The programme comprised biweekly home visits over 10 weeks with personalised plans implemented aiming to increase moderate-intensity PA. Pedometers and PA diaries were used as self-monitoring tools. The goals were to (1) teach participants behavioural skills related to adopting and maintaining an active lifestyle and (2) increase daily participation in PA.

Outcome measures Mean steps/day were assessed. S_I assessed by the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test and other components of the insulin resistance syndrome were measured.

Results Mean steps/day increased significantly from 10 363±927 (baseline) to 13 013±1131 (week 10) (p<0.05). S_I was also significantly increased, despite no change in BMI-SDS, and remained so after an additional 10-week follow-up.

Conclusions The results suggest that such a home-based PA programme is feasible. S_I improved without changes in BMI-SDS. More rigorous evaluations of such programmes are warranted.