PROMISE

Background & Research Plan

The childhood obesity epidemic is one of the foremost health priorities in the UK. While a sustainable solution ultimately lies with managing our obesogenic environment, the NHS still has responsibility for treatment of the 7-10% of children and young people already obese.

NICE guidance in 2006 outlined a Childhood Obesity Pathway (COP) covering best practice management in primary and secondary care. NICE also highlighted key gaps in evidence. We examined the COP and particularly identified areas where additional knowledge or application of existing knowledge could support NHS staff to provide the best care to the overweight children, and developed a programme of research around this.

This programme integrates public health and clinical perspectives and will build a unique research grouping. It comprises of five linked studies (A to E) together with a 6th integrative work package related to the implementation of finding from each of the studies. It will have impacts at all levels of the COP to improve outcomes and experiences of care and streamline patient flow.

Research Team

• Programme Team

We have assembled a unique multi-disciplinary group of researchers from public health, general practice and secondary care to work together on this programme including the following organisation: University College London, Institute of Child Health/UCL, Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College London Hospital, London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine, School of Pharmacy and Imperial College London.

The programme is being undertaken within UCL Partners, an Academic Health Sciences Centre with international quality research and clinical services and strong support for translational research.

Outputs

The programme will have impacts at all levels of the COP to improve outcomes and experiences of care and reduce burden on the NHS. Outputs include 3 new management tools and data to improve health services and planning, and will have patient benefit within 3-5 years of the end of the studies.

Patient/public involvement

Consultancy from 3 obesity charities, with one representative on the Programme Steering Committee.

• Publications 

This programme integrates public health and clinical perspectives and will build a unique research grouping. It comprises five linked studies (A to E) detailed below.