Telemedicine and Physical Visits: A Dynamic Duo in Obesity Management Among Adolescents, Egypt

Enas Sayed Abbas, Department of Pediatrics, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo, EgyptFollow
Safaa Al Hussein Tawfik, Department of Clinical Nutrition, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo, Egypt
Gehan Fouad Ahmad, Department of Pediatrics, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo, Egypt
Lamiaa Ibrahim Haroon, Physician Nutrition Specialist Department, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo, Egypt
Taghreed K. M. Elhady, Department of Clinical Nutrition, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo, Egypt
Amira Said Nassar, Department of Clinical Nutrition, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo, Egypt

Article Type

Original Study

Subject Area

Nutrition

Abstract

Childhood obesity, a serious global issue, leads to various health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and psychological issues. In Egypt, inconsistent data shows a significant prevalence of obesity among adolescents, influenced by factors like gender, age, and lifestyle. The study aims to explore the effectiveness of telemedicine, in conjunction with physical visits, for managing obesity among adolescents in Egypt. Telemedicine, a cost-effective and engaging alternative to in-person visits, can help patients lose weight and provide a safe, remote alternative, expanding treatment access to hard-to-reach populations. The study is a controlled clinical trial on overweight or obese adolescents aged 15-18 using telemedicine and online communications for weight management over 12 weeks. It includes comprehensive nutritional assessments, dietary, behavioral, and physical interventions, and weekly counseling sessions. Patients followed up at 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks by physical visits. The study presents the impact of telemedicine and physical visit interventions on overweight and obese adolescents. The overweight participants were 225 (26% of the total) and had lost weight of 12% (27 participants) and 7.5% (17 participants) after two months and three months, respectively, which corresponds to a weight loss of 7.5%. The chi-square for this group is 28.9. The obese participants were 640 (74%) and had lost weight of 21.0% (68 participants) and 7.8% (26 participants) after two months and three months, respectively, which corresponds to a weight loss of 5.3%. The p-value for this group is 0.001, indicating a statistically significant difference. These results suggest the three-month telemedicine and physical visit interventions were effective in significantly reducing the number of overweight and obese adolescents. However, these are aggregate results, and individual outcomes may vary. The long-term sustainability of these changes needs further assessment in follow-up studies. The intervention’s success suggests that telemedicine could be a valuable tool for managing obesity among adolescents.

IRB Number

IN000130

Keywords

Obesity -overweight -adolescent -telemedicine -Egypt

Recommended Citation

Abbas, Enas Sayed; Tawfik, Safaa Al Hussein; Ahmad, Gehan Fouad; Haroon, Lamiaa Ibrahim; Elhady, Taghreed K. M.; and Nassar, Amira Said (2024) "Telemedicine and Physical Visits: A Dynamic Duo in Obesity Management Among Adolescents, Egypt," Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research: Vol. 7: Iss. 3, Article 9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59299/2537-0928.1395