Effect of the Intervention Dominated by Rational-Emotive  Therapy on Obese Children’s Mental Health

Liping  Dai; Bingjin  Su; Qiang  Liu

doi:10.18502/ijph.v54i3.18252

Liping Dai General Education College, Fuzhou Polytechnic, Fuzhou, China
Bingjin Su General Education College, Fuzhou Polytechnic, Fuzhou, China
Qiang Liu Department of Physical Education, Xiamen Institute of Technology, Xiamen, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v54i3.18252

Keywords: Rational-emotive therapy; Mental health; Obese children

Abstract

Background: Due to economic development and lifestyle changes, childhood obesity and psychological problems are becoming increasingly prominent. However, only a few studies have investigated the available psychological interventions for obese children. In this study, an eight-week empirical research on obese children was conducted where rational-emotive therapy was combined with group exercise.

Methods: A total of 110 obese children from 2 public primary schools in Fujian Province, China were selected via cluster random sampling. They were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 55 children in each group. The experimental group received an integrated intervention dominated by rational-emotive therapy, while the control group did not receive any intervention. After eight weeks of intervention, a comparative measurement was conducted on both groups.

Results: The decrease in BMI observed in the experimental group was significantly greater than that observed in the control group, and such difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The decrease in depression observed in the experimental group was greater than that observed in the control group, and such difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The experimental group reported reductions in all eight factors of metal health after the intervention, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.001).

Conclusion: The proposed intervention model can effectively reduce obese children’s BMI and depression levels and improve their mental health. The results of this study provide scientific basis for the timely prevention of childhood obesity and negative psychological problems.