Journal Article Epublish
PubMed: 42832767 DOI: 10.2196/86816
Online Lifestyle Support for Adolescents Undergoing Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: Pilot Prospective Cohort Study.
JMIR Pediatr Parent 9:e86816
Authors: Sarah E Messiah, Jackson M Francis, Folefac D Atem, Matthew Sunil Mathew, Alicia Wheelington, Maral Misserian, Sitapriya Neti, Rashon Braxton, Bethany R Cartwright, Faisal G Qureshi, Sarah E Barlow, Marlyn A Alicock
Affiliations
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75390, United States, 1 3057785309.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
- Child and Adolescent Population Health Program, Children's Health System of Texas, Dallas, TX, United States.
- Children's Health System of Texas, Dallas, TX, United States.
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, United States.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
- School of Allied Health Professions, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
- Touchstone Diabetes Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
- Children's Health System of Texas, Dallas, TX, United States. Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is a safe and effective treatment for adolescents with severe obesity, yet no standardized lifestyle interventions exist to support sustained behavior change after MBS.
OBJECTIVE
This pilot study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of TeenLyft, an online lifestyle support program for adolescents undergoing MBS, and explored preliminary clinical and safety outcomes to inform the design of a future randomized trial.
METHODS
Adolescents aged 13 to 18 years were recruited from a tertiary care MBS center and enrolled in TeenLyft. The study was not powered or designed as a randomized controlled trial but rather as a pilot to guide future randomized controlled trial development. Feasibility domains included recruitment, retention, data completeness, intervention fidelity, and engagement, with predefined progression criteria of ≥80% enrollment, ≥70% retention, ≥70% data completeness, and ≥90% fidelity. Exploratory clinical and safety measures (weight, BMI, and cardiometabolic markers) were collected descriptively to confirm that participation was not associated with harm.
RESULTS
Twenty-nine adolescents (mean age 15.9 years, SD 1.1; n=22, 75.9% female; n=13, 44.8% Hispanic; mean BMI 47.8, SD 7.3 kg/m 2) were enrolled, representing 145% of the recruitment target (n=20), with 72.4% retention at 6 months. All feasibility progression criteria were met. Descriptive trends showed expected post-MBS reductions in weight and BMI and improvements in blood pressure and hemoglobin A 1c, with no adverse cardiometabolic effects observed.
CONCLUSIONS
TeenLyft demonstrated high feasibility, acceptability, and safety as an adjunct to adolescent MBS care. Findings support progression to a fully powered randomized trial to evaluate long-term effectiveness and sustainability.
MeSH
Pilots, Life Style, Safety, Cohort Studies, Adolescent, Bariatric Surgery, Weight Loss, Retention, Psychology