CASE REPORT   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana - Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2019 September;178(9):699-705

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.18.03931-1

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

An intensive lifestyle intervention in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Roberto PIPPI ¹, Livia BURATTA ², Claudia RANUCCI ¹, Clarissa CAVALLINA ², Cristina AIELLO ¹, Elisa REGINATO ¹, Pierpaolo DE FEO ¹, Anna BISCARINI ¹, Carmine FANELLI ¹, Claudia MAZZESCHI ² ✉

¹ Healthy Lifestyle Institute, Centro Universitario Ricerca Interdipartimentale Attività Motoria (C.U.R.I.A.Mo.), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy; ² Department of Philosophy, Social, Human and Educational Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

The present paper was a contribution on the effectiveness of a lifestyle family-based intervention for children with overweigh and presenting attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder trough the exposition of the case of S., a 9- year-old boy. History of parental obesity with hypertension of grandparents on his father’s side were detected. Sedentary behaviours and an excess of sugar and sweetener consumption were observed during the first counselling visit. According to EUROBIS clinical model 2 weekly sessions of supervised physical activity were done in addition to an individual counselling and educational group sessions on healthy nutrition habits and psychological support for the parents. The children improved his food habits and all physical-health related capacities tested. The lifestyle intervention with a family based approach could help a child with special needs in the process of change unhealthy habits through the regulation of food intake and physical activity levels and their reciprocal connections.

KEY WORDS: Child; Obesity; Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity; Exercise