News from PHR

Assessing obesity health interventions

News release from NETSCC, Public Health Research
08 July 2011

Two NIHR PHR programme projects have been funded under the joint obesity themed call aiming to measure the success of health programmes and public health interventions in both child and adult obesity.

Being overweight and obese are a common major cause of ill-health lifestyle disease which causes chronic diseases such as; diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, osteoarthritis and certain forms of cancer. Around 25 per cent of the adult population are overweight. A programme called Football Fans in Training (FFIT) offers a weight loss and healthy living programme for men aged 35-65 years old, with 12 weekly group sessions at the Scottish Premier League (SPL) club that they support. It is supported by the SPL clubs, SPL Trust, The Football Pools and Scottish Government.

A study led jointly by Professors Sally Wyke of the University of Glasgow and Kate Hunt at CSO/MRC Social and Public Health Unit will evaluate whether the FFIT programme achieves important levels of weight loss in men up to 12 months after they started the programme by conducting a randomised controlled trial. The programme will be offered in club training facilities at 12 SPL football clubs and the club relegated to Division 1 at the end of the 2010-11 season.

It will be judged to be successful if significantly more men who take part in the programme have lost at least five per cent of their body weight when they are measured one year after the programme in comparison with men who did not take part in FFIT during that time period.

Professor Wyke commented; “Many men are overweight or obese, but men are reluctant to join existing weight loss programmes. Professional football clubs, with their large, mainly male, fan base, have the potential to attract and support men to lose weight and live more healthily.”

To view the project page click here

The second study, led by Professor Clare Bambra of the Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University, will use systematic review methods to examine the effectiveness of public health interventions at reducing inequalities in child and adult obesity. Additionally, it will look at how the services are organised, implemented and delivered. The researchers will review both children aged 0-18 years old and adults above 18 years old.

Childhood obesity is a particular concern and it is widely accepted that there is a link between childhood obesity, illness and early death in later life. Within the UK and other high income countries, obesity levels are higher in more deprived population groups.

The reviews will consider public health strategies which might reduce existing inequalities in the prevalence of obesity including those interventions which might prevent the development of inequalities in obesity.

“Although we are beginning to better understand what works to reduce levels of obesity overall, there is very little accessible evidence available on what works to reduce inequalities in obesity levels between social groups,” says Dr Bambra. “The systematic review process will make complex and diffuse information more accessible to the public, policymakers and to those in the NHS and local government who commission services.”

The project will last for 24 months, 12 months to review the children and a further 12 months to review the adults.

To view the project page click here