Effects of Auricular Acupressure on Korean Children Who are Obese

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of auricular acupresure on reducing obesity in children who are obese. Design and methods: The study design was a randomized controlled trial design. Participants aged between 9 and 11 years were 65 children who are obese, divided into the experimental group (n = 31) and control group (n = 34). The sessions continued for 8 weeks. The participants in the experimental and control groups received auricular acupressure using ear pellets (seeds) on 5 acupoints known to be either effective in obesity treatment or ineffective. Outcome measures included body image score, children's depression inventory, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and anthropometric indices (waist circumference, hip circumference, BMI, etc.). Results: Children in the experimental group showed significant improvement in waist circumference and hip circumference after 8 weeks compared with those in the control group (p <.001). But no statistically significant difference in body image score, depression score, or self-esteem score emerged before or after auricular acupressure in the experimental and control groups. Conclusions: Auricular acupressure using ear pellets for eight weeks was effective in decreasing waist and hip circumferences in children who are obese. Practice implications: Auricular acupressure can be used as an intervention method for children to control obesity.