Motivational Interviewing Intervention for Families With Overweight and Obesity

The COVID-19 lockdown fostered unhealthy eating habits and reduced physical activity levels, leading to weight gain, sedentary behavior, and increased anxiety and sleep disorders. Consequently, this study aims to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention using motivational interviewing to promote healthy diet and physical activity, improve body weight, reduce anxiety and depression, and enhance sleep quality and overall quality of life among families in Baja California and Sonora, Mexico, following the COVID-19 lockdown. This randomized controlled trial will include 60 individuals and their families in an intervention group receiving the motivational interviewing approach, and another 60 individuals and their families in a comparison group receiving traditional nutritional counseling; both groups will receive the same information but through different strategies. The intervention will be conducted using the motivational interviewing approach, delivered by professionals trained in this strategy. During each session, families will receive information regarding a nutritional plan and healthy physical activity. The project will involve physicians, nutritionists, and psychologists, as well as interns from medical and nutrition academic programs. Following the information sessions-which will take place in person within the comfort of each family's home-participants will be asked if they wish to set individual or family goals to be achieved over the subsequent 15-day periods during the first five months, or 30-day periods during the final five months. The information shared with participants will be based on practical guidelines for chronic disease prevention issued by the Ministry of Health. Topics will include the importance of consuming fruits, vegetables, and fiber-rich foods; strategies to reduce the intake of high-fat foods and sugary beverages; and the physical and emotional health benefits of physical activity. At the start of the study, anthropometric measurements will be taken, and assessments will be conducted regarding diet, physical activity levels, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and quality of life; upon completion of the 10-month intervention, all assessment tools will be administered again to evaluate potential differences in the variables of interest. It is expected that, by the end of the intervention, participants will be able to modify their dietary and physical activity habits to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, and that the strategies employed over the 10 months will enable them to develop a long-term healthy lifestyle, helping to prevent physical and mental illnesses among the children, adolescents, and adults in each family.