PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Willeboordse, Maartje
AU  - van de Kant, Kim D.G.
AU  - Tan, Frans E.S.
AU  - Mulkens, Sandra
AU  - Schellings, Julia
AU  - Crijns, Yvonne
AU  - van de Ploeg, Liesbeth
AU  - van Schayck, Onno C.P.
AU  - Dompeling, Edward
TI  - A weight reduction intervention in children with overweight and asthma
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 433
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/433.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/433.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Aim There is increasing evidence that obesity is related to asthma development and severity. In children, it is largely unknown whether weight reduction contributes to improvements in asthma outcomes. We investigated the effects of a multifactorial weight reduction intervention on body weight and clinical asthma characteristics in children with asthma and overweight or obesity.Methods An 18 month weight reduction RCT was conducted in 87 children with asthma and overweight or obesity. The intervention consisted of an intense programme with sport-, lifestyle-, parental- and individual sessions. Every 6 months, measurements of anthropometry, lung function, lifestyle parameters and inflammatory markers were assessed.Results After 18 months, BMI-standard deviation score decreased slightly with -0.12±0.32 (p<0.01). However, this decrease was equally present in the intervention and control group. Clinical asthma characteristics (including asthma control, quality of life) and lung function indices (including forced expiratory volume, expiratory reserve volume) improved over time, although equally in the intervention and control group (all parameters p≥0.05). Only changes in forced vital capacity differed significantly between groups (p<0.05), with increases in intervention group of 10.1±8.7%, and in control group of 6.1±8.4%. Inflammatory markers, and most lifestyle parameters (including diet, step count) did not change over time (p≥0.05), or between groups (p≥0.05).Discussion Our intervention demonstrated limited effects on both weight reduction and lung function. Possible reasons for the low effectiveness are high attrition rates, low intervention compliance, and weight reduction in the control group.