The UK-based MEND 7–13 (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition Do it!) programme is a multicomponent family-based weight management intervention for childhood overweight and obesity implemented at scale in the community. The intervention was demonstrated to be effective in reducing body mass index (BMI) of obese children after 6 and 12 months in a randomised controlled trial. Between 2007 and 2010, the MEND intervention was implemented on a large scale, with programmes rolled out across all regions of England. These researchers explored whether the sociodemographic characteristics of MEND participants match those of the population eligible for the intervention, and they examined what predicts completion of a MEND programme. The study cohort included 18,289 children referred to 1940 MEND programmes. Compared to the MEND-eligible population, proportionally more MEND starters were: obese rather than overweight but not obese; girls; Asian; from families with a lone parent; living in less favourable socioeconomic circumstances; and living in urban rather than rural or suburban areas. Children who had started the programme were significantly less likely to complete it if they: were reported by parents as having ‘abnormal’ rather than ‘normal’ levels of psychological distress; were boys; were from lone parent rather than couple parent families; lived in less favourable socioeconomic circumstances; and had participated in a relatively large MEND programme group; or where managers had run more programmes.
