Spin in the abstract in 'Impact of motivational interviewing on outcomes of an adolescent obesity treatment: Results from the MI Values randomized controlled pilot trial'

摘要

Dear Editor, We read with interest the article by Bean et al entitled "Impact of motivational interviewing on outcomes of an adolescent obesity treatment: Results from the MI [Motivational Interviewing] Values randomized controlled pilot trial."1 The authors contribute an important randomized controlled trial on the effect of MI on obesity-related outcomes. We wish to respectfully underscore a point of disagreement in the language used in the abstract to communicate the results of the trial. This report included as outcomes (a) self-reported energy intake, (b) self-reported physical activity and (c) body mass index (BMI) z-score. The trial assessed each at baseline, 3 and 6 months, and performed a repeated measures analysis of variance on each outcome. A statistically significant Group x Time interaction at 3 months but not 6 months for energy intake was found, and no interaction at either time point for BMI z-score or physical activity was found. In contrast, the authors report in the abstract that "MI might be an effective adjunct to adolescent obesity treatment." It should be clarified in the abstract that BMI z-score was not different between groups at either time point, as properly characterized in the paper's discussion, and thus the conclusions should more appropriately conclude that this investigation did not support motivational interviewing as effective.