NCT03508622

Group Telehealth Weight Management Visits for Adolescents With Obesity

Completed NA Results posted Last updated 9 September 2025

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Telehealth group sessions in Obesity, Childhood in 66 participants. Completed in 1 May 2021.

Timeline

1 January 2018

Primary endpoint
9 April 2021

1 May 2021

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	single group
Masking	none
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	66
Start date	1 January 2018
Primary completion	9 April 2021
Estimated completion	1 May 2021
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Telehealth group sessions
• Empower clinic

Conditions studied

• Obesity, Childhood — all drugs for Obesity, Childhood →

Sponsor

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Who can join

Adults 14 to 18, any sex, with Obesity, Childhood. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.

Mean Change From Baseline to 6 Months in Body Mass Index Primary · Baseline to 6 Months

A measure for body adiposity calculated by dividing a participant's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters (kg/m\^2)

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	1.07	± 2.06
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	0.17	± 1.43

Mean Change From Baseline to 6 Months in Percentage of 95th Percentile Body Mass Index Primary · Baseline to 6 Months

A measure of body adiposity for severe obesity calculated by dividing a participant's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters (kg/m\^2) and categorized as per the American Academy of Pediatrics

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	1.62	± 6.84
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-2.52	± 4.66

Mean Change From Baseline to 6 Months in Glycosylated Hemoglobin Primary · Baseline to 6 Months

a blood test that measures the average blood glucose over three months

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	-0.27	± .85
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-.16	± 0.24

Mean Change From Baseline to 6 Months in Alanine Aminotransferase Primary · Baseline to 6 Months

Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) will be assessed via blood test measured in units/liter. The range from 7 to 56 units per liter (U/L) of blood indicates normal levels and, 57 and greater indicate elevated levels.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	18.8	± 156.00
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	3.00	± 24.6

Mean Change in Triglycerides From Baseline to 6 Months Primary · Baseline to 6 Months

Triglycerides will be assessed via blood tests and measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	-7.2	± 70.31
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-44.71	± 124.13

Mean Change in Diastolic Blood Pressure From Baseline to 6 Months Primary · Baseline to 6 Months

Blood pressure will be assessed via a blood pressure monitor (a device used to measure blood pressure) measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Systolic mmHg less than 70 indicates normal level, above 70 indicates elevated level, and Diastolic mmHg less than 120 indicates normal level, and above 120 indicates elevated level.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	-2.47	± 6.8
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-2.88	± 9.81

Mean Change in Systolic Blood Pressure From Baseline to 6 Months Primary · Baseline to 6 Months

Blood pressure will be assessed via a blood pressure monitor (a device used to measure blood pressure) measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Systolic mmHg less than 70 indicates normal level, above 70 indicates elevated level, and Diastolic mmHg less than 120 indicates normal level, and above 120 indicates elevated level.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	4.1	± 10.1
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-4.82	± 9.74

Change in Quality of Life From Baseline to 6 Months Using Quality of Life Questionnaire #1 Secondary · Baseline to 6 Months

Quality of life measurements will be obtained will be obtained through "Youth Telehealth Pilot Study Survey" questionnaire. Questionnaire with a scale from 1 (only a little), 3 (some) to 5 (a lot). Mean will be provided to describe change.

treated the same as everyone else?

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	0.7	± 0.7

accepted just as you are?

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	0	± 1

challenged and encouraged through sports?

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	0.4	± 1.3

successful or skilled in some sport or other activity you like?

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	0.7	± 0.6

happy with yourself?

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	0	± 0.7

able to speak up for yourself?

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	0.9	± 1.1

satisfied with your school day?

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	0.1	± 1.1

able to take part in group activities?

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	1.0	± 1.6

Change in Quality of Life From Baseline to 6 Months Using the Quality of Life 2 (KINDL) Questionnaire. Secondary · Baseline to 6 Months

Quality of Life measurements will be obtained through will be obtained through "Youth Telehealth Pilot Study Survey" questionnaire. Questions 1-13 on questionnaire use a scale from 1 to 5 with 1) Never, 2) Rarely, 3) Sometimes, 4) Often, 5) All the time. Question 14 uses scale from 1 to 5 with 1) Not at all, 2) Somewhat severe , 3) Moderately severe , 4) Fairly, 5) Very Severe. Question 15 on questionnaire use a scale from 1 to 5 with 1) not at all 2) Somewhat 3) Moderately, 4)A lot, 5) Really a lot

During the past week I felt so big that it was hard to move.

Group	Value	95% CI
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	0.06	± 0.42

I got tired and out of breath quickly compared to others when being physically active.

Group	Value	95% CI
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-0.12	± 0.76

During the past week I was sad and depressed because of my weight

Group	Value	95% CI
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-0.12	± 0.90

During the past week I was annoyed by my many attempts at losing weight

Group	Value	95% CI
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-0.88	± 1.08

During the past week I felt ashamed because of my weight

Group	Value	95% CI
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-.35	± 0.97

During the past week was dissatisfied with myself because of my weight

Group	Value	95% CI
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-0.59	± 1.19

During the past week my family scolded me because of my weight

Group	Value	95% CI
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	-0.47	± 1.72

During the past week had to eat at home because I'm watching my weight

Group	Value	95% CI
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	0.12	± 1.32

Satisfaction With Care at 6 Months Using Satisfaction Telehealth Questionnaire Secondary · 6 Months

Satisfaction measurements will be obtained through "Satisfaction using Telehealth" questionnaire.

I felt comfortable using technology for my online sessions.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	13
Experimental - Telehealth	4
Experimental - Telehealth	0

Participating in the TH sessions was much easier than going in person doctor's appointment.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	10
Experimental - Telehealth	7
Experimental - Telehealth	0

I would like to have online sessions again.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	8
Experimental - Telehealth	9
Experimental - Telehealth	0

I liked talking to other teens and young adults during the online sessions.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	5
Experimental - Telehealth	12
Experimental - Telehealth	0

I felt supported during the group sessions.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	14
Experimental - Telehealth	3
Experimental - Telehealth	0

I felt comfortable asking the session leader questions throughout the online sessions.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	12
Experimental - Telehealth	5
Experimental - Telehealth	0

I was able to speak freely and express myself.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	14
Experimental - Telehealth	3
Experimental - Telehealth	0

I felt comfortable showing my face with others on screen during the sessions.

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	3
Experimental - Telehealth	9
Experimental - Telehealth	5

Attendance/Retention From Baseline to 6 Months Secondary · Baseline to 6 Months

Attendance, no-show and same-day reschedules

Group	Value	95% CI
Experimental - Telehealth	6.9	1 – 12
Control - EMPOWER Clinic	5.5	5 – 7

Sponsor's own description

Summary Description

The goal of this intervention study is to test how well does a weight management curriculum work in virtual group-based medical visits (telehealth) for the treatment of adolescents with obesity. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* How well does providing group-based medical care for obesity using telehealth work?
* How doable is it to provide virtual group-based health education visits with adolescent patients?
* Are the group-based health education visits similar, or better than the traditional in-person clinic visits?

Participants will be asked to:

* Complete surveys, do bloodwork, and physical measurements like blood pressure, height and weight before the study activities start and after completing the study activities
* Participate in study activities such as attending 12 virtual sessions lasting 60 minutes each, every other week, over a period of 6 months
* Join group learning and discussions of topics like nutrition, barriers to physical activity, and mental health with various facilitators like a medical doctor, dietitian, psychologist, and physical therapist
* Take part of in brief individual coaching sessions over email or over the phone Researchers will compare the virtual group-based medical visits to the traditional in-person weight management clinic visits (EMPOWER Weight Management Clinic) to see if the study can be another option in the treatment of adolescents with obesity.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial. Completed trials usually publish results within 12-18 months.