Effect of Home-Based Exercise Training on Anthropometric Indices and Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Overweight/ Obesity: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity are health challenges in children and adolescents and have increased in prevalence in years. This study evaluated the effects of home-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT), resistance training (RT), or combined HIIT+RT on anthropometric indices and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity. Methods: A randomized, single-blinded clinical trial was conducted in Isfahan, Iran. A total of 120 patients (aged 10-18 years) with overweight or obesity participated. Eligible participants were recruited using a simple sampling method and randomly assigned to one of four groups: three intervention groups (HIIT, RT, and combined HIIT+RT) or one non-exercising control group with dietary advice. The intervention groups received 24 home-based training sessions over 2 months. Anthropometric indices and the KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire were assessed both pre- and post-intervention. Results: After 2 months, body weight decreased significantly in the RT group compared with baseline measurements (P=0.010). Waist circumference (WC) also decreased significantly in the RT group (P=0.001), and hip circumference (HC) decreased significantly across the three intervention groups. Adjusted analyses revealed significant reductions in body weight (P=0.028), WC (P=0.024), and HC (P=0.006) across interventions. No significant changes were observed in waist-to-hip ratio or body mass index (BMI). In addition, an analysis of covariance showed no significant differences in the mean changes in HRQoL among the three intervention and control Conclusion: Home exercise was associated with improvements in anthropometric indices excluding BMI, whereas HRQoL remained unchanged in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity.