Effective strategies for childhood obesity prevention via school based, family involved interventions: a critical review for the development of the Feel4Diabetes-study school based component
- PMID: 32370795
- PMCID: PMC7201517
- DOI: 10.1186/s12902-020-0526-5
Effective strategies for childhood obesity prevention via school based, family involved interventions: a critical review for the development of the Feel4Diabetes-study school based component
Abstract
Background: Although there are many interventions targeting childhood obesity prevention, only few have demonstrated positive results. The current review aimed to gather and evaluate available school-based intervention studies with family involvement targeting dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviors among primary schoolchildren and their families, in order to identify the most effective strategies.
Methods: Studies published between 2000 and January 2015 were retrieved from scientific electronic databases and grey literature. The databases used included MEDLINE/PubMed, Web-of-Science, CINAHL and Scopus. Included studies had to be experimental controlled studies and had duration over 1 school year, had family involvement, combined PA and dietary behaviors and were implemented in school setting. A complementary search was executed to update the review to cover the period from February 2015 to January 2019.
Results: From the studies examined (n = 425), 27 intervention programs (33 publications) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Among these, 15 presented significant effect on weight status and/ or overweight/ obesity or clinical indices, 3 presented significant effect on most energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs) while 9 presented significant effect on some/few EBRBs or determinants. Strategies implemented in effective interventions were: teachers acting as role-models and being actively involved in the delivery of the intervention, school policies supporting the availability of healthy food and beverage choices and limiting unhealthy snacks, changes in the schoolyard, in the recess rules and in the physical education classes to increase physical activity, and involving parents in the intervention via assignments, meetings, informative material and encouraging them to improve the home environment. Use of incentives for children, social marketing techniques, collaboration with local stakeholders were found to increase effectiveness. Programs that focused only on educational sessions and material for parents, without promoting relevant environmental and policy changes, were found to be less effective. Cultural adaptations have been suggested to increase the intervention's acceptance in specific or vulnerable population groups.
Conclusions: Several effective strategies were identified in the reviewed programs. Outcomes of the current review were taken into account in developing the Feel4Diabetes-intervention and summed up as recommendations in the current work in order to facilitate other researchers designing similar childhood obesity prevention initiatives.
Keywords: Families; Obesity prevention; Primary school children; School based intervention; Type 2 diabetes prevention.
Conflict of interest statement
Two co-authors are members of the editorial board (Associate Editor - Odysseas Androutsos, Section Editor- Stavros Liatis) of this journal. The authors declare that they have no further competing interests.
Figures
Similar articles
-
The effect of weight management interventions that include a diet component on weight-related outcomes in pregnant and postpartum women: a systematic review protocol.JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2015 Jan;13(1):88-98. doi: 10.11124/jbisrir-2015-1812. JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2015. PMID: 26447010
-
The West Midlands ActiVe lifestyle and healthy Eating in School children (WAVES) study: a cluster randomised controlled trial testing the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a multifaceted obesity prevention intervention programme targeted at children aged 6-7 years.Health Technol Assess. 2018 Feb;22(8):1-608. doi: 10.3310/hta22080. Health Technol Assess. 2018. PMID: 29436364 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
-
The CHIRPY DRAGON intervention in preventing obesity in Chinese primary-school--aged children: A cluster-randomised controlled trial.PLoS Med. 2019 Nov 26;16(11):e1002971. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002971. eCollection 2019 Nov. PLoS Med. 2019. PMID: 31770371 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
-
Lifestyle intervention for improving school achievement in overweight or obese children and adolescents.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Mar 14;(3):CD009728. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009728.pub2. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Jan 29;1:CD009728. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009728.pub3. PMID: 24627300 Updated. Review.
-
School-based obesity prevention programs in rural communities: a scoping review.JBI Evid Synth. 2022 Dec 1;20(12):2936-2985. doi: 10.11124/JBIES-21-00233. JBI Evid Synth. 2022. PMID: 36513382 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
Weight Status Determines the Impact of a School-Based Nutrition Education Intervention on Lifestyle Behaviors in Children.Children (Basel). 2024 Sep 6;11(9):1093. doi: 10.3390/children11091093. Children (Basel). 2024. PMID: 39334625 Free PMC article.
-
Childhood obesity and comorbidities-related perspective and experience of parents from Black and Asian minority ethnicities in England: a qualitative study.Front Public Health. 2024 Aug 5;12:1399276. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1399276. eCollection 2024. Front Public Health. 2024. PMID: 39175897 Free PMC article.
-
Challenges in Type 2 Diabetes Prevention among Senior High School Students: A Qualitative Study.Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery. 2024 Jul 1;12(3):175-187. doi: 10.30476/IJCBNM.2024.101360.2413. eCollection 2024 Jul. Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery. 2024. PMID: 39161866 Free PMC article.
-
A Comprehensive Review of School-Based Lifestyle Interventions to Reduce Childhood Obesity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.Cureus. 2024 Jul 11;16(7):e64305. doi: 10.7759/cureus.64305. eCollection 2024 Jul. Cureus. 2024. PMID: 39130893 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Effect of School-Based Educational Intervention on Childhood Obesity in Croatian Urban and Rural Settings.Children (Basel). 2024 Jul 17;11(7):867. doi: 10.3390/children11070867. Children (Basel). 2024. PMID: 39062316 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Manios Y, Androutsos O, Katsarou C, Vampouli EA, Kulaga Z, Gurzkowska B, et al. Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of overweight and obesity in a large Pan-European cohort of preschool children and their families: the ToyBox study. Nutrition. 2018;55–56:192–198. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2018.05.007. - DOI - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources