Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: A Mindset Intervention for Obese Youth

Abstract

As growth mindset intervention research continues to develop, more work is needed to understand how to most effectively implement these interventions to encourage healthy cognitions and behaviors. The present study details the initial testing of a single-session, online mindset intervention (Healthy Body, Healthy Mind) for obese children and adolescents enrolled in obesity treatment clinics. Using a pre to post-test design, results indicated that growth mindsets of health and cognitions related to health behavior (nutrition and exercise self-efficacy and perceived control) increased significantly. However, despite efforts to mitigate feelings of culpability, blame also increased from pretest to post-test. Yet, body dissatisfaction decreased significantly. Intrinsic value for health behaviors remained unchanged from pretest to post-test. Analysis of narratives suggests that youth were engaged with the intervention content. Additionally, when youth’s narratives incorporated themes related to the changeable nature of the attribute, they also self-reported stronger growth mindsets. In the discussion, we note implications of findings for the development of large-scale health-based growth mindset interventions that are developmentally-appropriate for children and adolescents.

Keywords:

• Body dissatisfaction
• child obesity
• growth mindset
• intervention
• self-efficacy

Additional information

Notes on contributors

K. Orvidas

Kasey Orvidas holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from North Carolina State University. Her work focuses on how an individual’s mindset is related to health behavior engagement and health behavior change. She currently owns a health coaching business where she helps individuals reach their health and wellness goals using evidence-based practices and teaches other coaches to do the same through online courses and mentorship.

J. L. Burnette

Jeni L. Burnette, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology at North Carolina State University, where she directs the Mindset Laboratory. Burnette applies basic social psychological theories to understanding fundamental social issues such as obesity and stigma. Her work has been published in journals including Psychological Bulletin, Psychological Science, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and American Journal of Public Health.

J. L. Schleider

Jessica L. Schleider, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stony Brook University, where she directs the Lab for Scalable Mental Health. Her work on brief, accessible interventions for youth depression and anxiety has been recognized via numerous awards, including the NIH Director's Early Independence Award; the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies' President's New Researcher Award; and the Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry Best Paper Award. Dr. Schleider's work has been published in numerous outlets, including Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Clinical Psychology Review.

J. A. Skelton

Joseph A. Skelton, MD, MS, FAAP, FTOS is a Professor of Pediatrics, and of Epidemiology and Prevention, at Wake Forest School of Medicine. He serves as Director of Brenner FIT^® (Families In Training), an interdisciplinary pediatric obesity treatment, prevention, research, and educational program, and as Associate Director of the Program in Community Engagement. He has worked in the study of attrition from pediatric obesity treatment, and its link to family dynamics. He is funded by the NIH to develop a model of predicting dropout from pediatric weight management, with a focus on family function. His clinical work involves the interdisciplinary treatment of obesity using family-centered approaches, integrating community engagement, culinary medicine, and parenting education.

M. Moses

Melissa Moses, MS, RD, LDN, is a Program Manager and Registered Dietitian with Brenner FIT^® (Families in Training) pediatric weight management program at Brenner Children's Hospital with Wake Forest Baptist Health. She specializes in working with families on behavior changes using Satter's Division of Responsibility model (sDOR) and motivational interviewing. She has been a part of pediatric obesity research published in journals including Childhood Obesity and Clinical Case Reports.

J. C. Dunsmore

Julie C. Dunsmore, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences and Director of the Social Development Lab at the University of Houston. Dunsmore's research focuses on emotion socialization processes within multilayered socio-cultural contexts from early childhood through adolescence and has been published in journals including Developmental Psychology, Early Education & Development, the Journal of Child and Family Studies, and Social Development.