Effects of an obesity intervention program on cognitive function in children: A randomized controlled trial

Objective Adiposity may be associated with poorer cognitive function in children. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of an obesity intervention on cognitive function in children. Methods One hundred and fifteen children were randomly allocated to either the Day Camp Intervention Arm (DCIA) or the Standard Intervention Arm (SIA). Children in the DCIA participated in a 6‐week day camp intervention and a subsequent 46‐week family‐based intervention. The camp intervention mainly consisted of physical exercise and health classes. The SIA was offered one weekly physical exercise session for 6 weeks and one educational meeting. Anthropometrics and cognitive function were measured at baseline, 6 weeks, and 52 weeks. Results At 6 weeks, the improvement in visuospatial construction skills was larger in the DCIA than the SIA (standardized mean difference, 0.47, 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.86, P = 0.02). At 52 weeks, the improvements in emotional control (standardized mean difference, −0.42, 95% CI, −0.68 to −0.16, P = 0.002) and monitoring (standardized mean difference, −0.32, 95% CI, −0.63 to −0.02, P = 0.04) were larger in the DCIA than the SIA. No group differences were observed in changes in other cognitive outcomes. Conclusions The obesity intervention may benefit emotional control, monitoring, and visuospatial construction skills in children.