Louisiana Researchers Test Technology-Assisted Approach to Preventing Summer Weight Gain in Adolescents

October 12, 2026 · Baton Rouge, LA

---

Pennington Biomedical, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health and LSU collaborate on pilot study combining summer camp, wearable technology and AI-assisted behavioral support

Summer break can bring changes in daily routines that make it harder for adolescents to maintain healthy habits. Researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Center, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health and LSU are exploring how technology can help keep adolescents engaged in healthy behaviors during and after a structured summer program.

A pilot study tested an eight-week summer health promotion program that combined an in-person camp with an AI-assisted mobile app, wearable activity trackers and personalized behavioral support. The study, “Integrating technology-assisted behavioral management into a summer obesity prevention intervention program: a pilot controlled trial,” published in Frontiers in Physiology, found that the technology could be incorporated into the structured camp experience, with adolescents averaging more than two hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day during the 10-day camp. The researchers also identified challenges in keeping participants engaged with the technology after the in-person program ended.

The study is an example of the research opportunities created through the Collaboration in Action (CAP) research initiative between FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake and LSU as part of their Championship Health Partnership. Dr. Senlin Chen, Helen "Bessie" Silverberg Pliner Professor and Interim Director of the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education at LSU, served as principal investigator on the study.

“What an exciting summer for the ProudMe team! This pilot allowed us to test and refine our ProudMe Camp childhood obesity prevention intervention,” Dr. Chen said. “The ProudMe app showed solid acceptability and engagement, with campers actively interacting with the AI chatbot to support healthy behaviors. Most encouragingly, children in the hybrid camp had a smaller increase in waist circumference than those in the control group.

“A huge ‘Thank You’ to our incredible students and team for their dedication, and to the children and families who made this work possible. We are especially grateful for the generous support from the CAP Program. These pilot findings provide exciting momentum for further refining and expanding ProudMe to help reduce childhood obesity risk and promote healthier behaviors.”

Researchers involved represented the LSU School of Kinesiology, LSU Division of Computer Science and Engineering, LSU Department of Geography & Anthropology, Pennington Biomedical and FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health.

“This project is a great example of the power of our CAP collaboration among FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake and the Championship Health Partnership with LSU and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center,” said Dr. Katie Queen of Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health. “By bringing together clinical care, obesity research, kinesiology and technology, we can develop more innovative and accessible ways to support children and families.”

The pilot included 26 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 14. Fourteen participants took part in the intervention, while 12 participated in a virtual computer coding program that served as the comparison group.

The intervention combined a 10-day, in-person summer camp with six additional weeks of technology-assisted support. During camp, participants took part in physical education lessons, nutrition activities and campus walks while using the technology components. After camp, participants continued using the ProudMe Tech mobile app and Fitbit activity trackers, with parental involvement.

During the 10-day camp, participants averaged 121 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity as measured by accelerometers. Researchers also recorded 851 entries in the mobile app during the eight-week intervention.

The technology was more difficult to sustain once the in-person camp ended. App engagement declined during the six-week post-camp period, highlighting the challenge of maintaining participation when the structure and social environment of an in-person program are removed.

Overall, the intervention and technology demonstrated modest acceptability, while behavioral and psychosocial outcomes showed mixed results.

“We found that these tools could be successfully integrated into a structured summer camp, while also identifying an important challenge: sustaining engagement after the in-person program ends,” Dr. Queen said. “These lessons will help guide future studies with longer programming and greater family involvement.”

Dr. Amanda Staiano of Pennington Biomedical said the findings provide valuable information for designing future interventions that combine in-person programming with technology.

“Summer can be a particularly important time to support healthy behaviors in adolescents because the structure of the school day is no longer there, and daily routines can change significantly. That can create more opportunities for sedentary time and changes in eating and activity patterns,” said Dr. Staiano, Interim Associate Executive Director for Population and Public Health Science and Director of the Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Laboratory. “This pilot provided important information as we think about how to design longer-term interventions that can better support adolescents and their families.”

The researchers say larger randomized studies will be needed to determine whether technology-assisted summer interventions can meaningfully influence obesity-related outcomes among adolescents. Future studies could include longer periods of in-person programming and greater involvement from parents and families.

About the LSU School of Kinesiology

The LSU School of Kinesiology (SOK) advances the understanding of physical activity, sport and health to optimize the quality of life for diverse populations through excellence in teaching, learning, discovery and engagement. SOK offers BS, MS, Online MS, PhD and two certificate options. Graduates go on to successful careers in the health and fitness industry, corporate wellness, sport agencies and businesses, athletic administration and K-12 educational settings. SOK is part of the College of Human Sciences & Education. Visit the School of Kinesiology website.

About FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health

FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health is a collaborative, coordinated and child-focused health network that provides patients with more access to physicians and providers specifically trained to care for children. The network includes hospital-based services at the main campus of Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital in Baton Rouge, as well as St. Francis Pediatrics in Monroe, Our Lady of Lourdes Women's and Children's Hospital in Lafayette and Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Bogalusa. It also connects pediatricians, pediatric specialists and other health providers across our state with clinics in the Baton Rouge region, Hammond, Lake Charles, Lafayette and Monroe. This model of coordinated pediatric healthcare extends vital resources into more communities across Louisiana so families have greater access to expertise close to home. For more information, visit ololchildrens.org.