THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING TELEMEDICINE IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY: A PILOT CLINICAL STUDY

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a three-month teleconsultation intervention in the management of primary school children with overweight and/or obesity on anthropometric indices, blood pressure, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedD). Design and method: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted, involving children aged 6 to 12 years from Greek primary schools. Both groups participated in structured teleconsultations, which included personalized dietary guidance, recommendations to increase physical activity, and behavioral counseling by a registered dietitian. Compared to the control group, children assigned to the intervention group were offered access to a platform promoting healthy dietary choices through gamification. The primary outcomes were body weight, body mass index (BMI), and BMI-z score. Blood pressure and adherence to the MedD using the KIDMED questionnaire were the secondary outcomes. All statistical analyses were conducted using the Jamovi version 2.6.2. Results: A total of 57 children participated in the randomized controlled trial (RCT), comprising 29 participants in the intervention group and 28 in the control group, with a median age of 9.11 (8.26–11.35) years. Following the intervention, children assigned to the intervention group improved their adherence to the MedD compared to the control group (MD = 1.55, 95%CI: 0.34 – 2.76, p = 0.013). There was no difference in the other outcomes of interest between the two groups. However, an improvement in the systolic and diastolic blood pressures within the intervention and control groups was observed (p SBPint = 0.003, p DBPint = 0.003, p SBPcon = 0.011, p DBPcon = 0.005). Conclusions: The 3-month dietary intervention incorporating gamification may enhance the adherence to the MedD among school-aged children. However, no effect was observed on anthropometric indices or blood pressure measurements between the two groups. Further RCTs with larger sample sizes and extended duration are needed to shed light on this important area of research.