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Background and goal: The PROgramme of Lifestyle Intervention in Families for Cardiovascular risk reduction (PROLIFIC) Study, conducted in India, aimed to assess whether a family-based approach to lifestyle interventions could improve weight management and obesity-related health outcomes among individuals with a family history of premature coronary heart disease. Study approach: In this cluster randomized controlled trial, families were randomly assigned to a family-based intervention group or a usual care group. The intervention group received structured lifestyle counseling from nonphysician health workers, who provided regular home visits, goal-setting, and peer group sessions focused on diet, physical activity, and cardiovascular health.
The usual care group received one-time counseling and annual cardiovascular risk screenings but no ongoing interventions. Main results: 1,671 participants (1,111 women) from 750 families participated. After adjusting for family clustering and socio-economic factors, intervention participants experienced, on average, these improvements compared to the usual care group after two years: 2.
61 kg greater reduction in weight ( P < .001) if (g_displayableSlots.mobileMiddleMrec) { pushDisplayAd(function() { googletag.
display('div-gpt-mobile-middle-mrec'); }); } 1.06 kg/m2 greater reduction in BMI ( P < .001) 4.
17 cm greater reduction in waist circumference ( P < .001) Why it matters: The findings demonstrate that a family-based approach to lifestyle interventions can significantly improve weight management and cardiovascular health among high-risk individuals. These interventions could have a substantial public health impact in preventing future diabetes and other noncommunicable disease conditions.
American Academy of Family Physicians Panniyammakal, J., et al. (2025).
Family-Based Interventions to Promote Weight Management in Adults: Results From a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in India. The Annals of Family Medicine . doi.
org/10.1370/afm.230632 .
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