Twelve‐Month Effects of the COPE Healthy Lifestyles TEEN Program on Overweight and Depressive Symptoms in High School Adolescents. (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Melnyk, Bernadette M.; Jacobson, Diana; Kelly, Stephanie A.; Belyea, Michael J.; Shaibi, Gabriel Q.; Small, Leigh; O'Haver, Judith A.; Marsiglia, Flavio F.
• Is Part Of: Journal of school health. Volume 85:Number 12(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 861
• Page End: 870
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: mental health outcomes -- obesity -- depression -- health beliefs -- health behavior; School health services -- Periodicals; School children -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; Health education -- Periodicals; School Health Services -- Periodicals; Health Education -- Periodicals; 371.71
• DOI: 10.1111/josh.12342
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-4391

Abstract

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: We evaluated the 12‐month effects of the COPE (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment) Healthy Lifestyles TEEN (Thinking, Emotions, Exercise, Nutrition) program versus an attention control program (Healthy Teens) on overweight/obesity and depressive symptoms in high school adolescents. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted. Participants were 779 culturally diverse adolescents in the US Southwest. COPE is a cognitive‐behavioral skills‐building intervention with 20 min of physical activity integrated into a health course and taught by teachers once a week for 15 weeks. Outcome measures included body mass index (BMI) and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: COPE teens had a significantly lower BMI at 12 months (F1, 698 = 11.22, p = .001) than Healthy Teens (24.95 versus 25.48). There was a significant decrease in the proportion of overweight and obese COPE teens from baseline to 12 months (χ 2 = 5.40, p = .02) as compared with Healthy Teens. For youth who began the study with extremely elevated depressive symptoms, COPE teens had significantly lower depression at 12 months compared with Healthy Teens (COPE M = 42.39; Healthy Teens M = 57.90); (F1, 12 = 5.78, p = .03). CONCLUSIONS: COPE can improve long‐term physical and mental health outcomes in teens.