The effectiveness of school-based interventions in preventing obesity in children.

Introduction

Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern worldwide, with significant implications for long-term health. School-based interventions have been identified as a promising approach to prevent obesity in children by promoting healthy dietary behaviors and physical activity. This synthesis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions based on multiple research studies.

Key Insights

Combined Diet and Physical Activity Interventions:
- Interventions that target both diet and physical activity are generally more effective in reducing BMI and improving dietary and physical activity behaviors in children .
- These interventions often involve multiple stakeholders, including schools, families, and communities, and integrate educational activities into the school curriculum .
Physical Activity-Focused Interventions:
- School-based physical activity interventions can help maintain a healthy weight, particularly in younger children and girls, although results are sometimes inconsistent and short-term .
- Emphasizing enjoyment in physical activity sessions can enhance the effectiveness of these interventions.
Parental and Family Involvement:
- Interventions that include a family component, such as engaging parents through workshops or using technology like smartphone apps, show greater effectiveness in reducing BMI and obesity prevalence .
Behavioral Theory-Based Interventions:
- Interventions grounded in behavioral theories, such as social cognitive theory, tend to be more effective in promoting long-term behavior change .
Process and Implementation Evaluations:
- Conducting process evaluations to document program implementation and understanding the pathways through which interventions affect outcomes are crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of school-based interventions .
Long-Term and Multi-Faceted Approaches:
- Long-lasting, multi-faceted, and sustainable interventions that target the whole school environment and involve all children are recommended for achieving positive behavior changes and long-term health benefits .

Conclusion

School-based interventions are generally effective in preventing childhood obesity, particularly when they combine dietary and physical activity components and involve multiple stakeholders, including families. Emphasizing enjoyment in physical activities and grounding interventions in behavioral theories can enhance their effectiveness. Long-term, multi-faceted approaches that target the entire school environment are essential for sustained positive outcomes. Further research is needed to refine these interventions and confirm their long-term benefits.

The effectiveness of school-based interventions in preventing obesity in children.

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Effectiveness of preventive school-based obesity interventions in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

School-based interventions targeting dietary behavior and physical activity can improve dietary and physical activity behavior and prevent unhealthy body weights in children and adolescents aged 6-18 in low- and middle-income countries.

Systematic review of school‐based interventions that focus on changing dietary intake and physical activity levels to prevent childhood obesity: an update to the obesity guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

School-based interventions focusing on diet and physical activity may help prevent childhood obesity in the long term, with more success in younger children and girls.

International school‐based interventions for preventing obesity in children

International school-based interventions for preventing childhood obesity show promise, with most focusing on individual-level behavior change approaches and parental involvement.

School‐based interventions for childhood and adolescent obesity

School-based interventions for childhood obesity show modest changes in behaviors, with TV watching being the most modifiable behavior, followed by physical activity and nutrition behaviors.

A cluster-randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a childhood obesity prevention programme delivered through schools, targeting 6–7 year old children: the WAVES study protocol

The WAVES study demonstrates that a multi-component intervention in primary schools can effectively prevent childhood obesity in 6-7 year olds, with long-term benefits and cost-effectiveness.

School-based approaches for preventing and treating obesity

School-based interventions show positive short-term results in preventing obesity, but more primary prevention research is needed.

Evaluation of a pilot school programme aimed at the prevention of obesity in children.

School-based interventions can improve nutrition knowledge and increase fruit and vegetable intake in children aged 5-7, but do not significantly reduce obesity rates.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the overall effects of school-based obesity prevention interventions and effect differences by intervention components

School-based interventions are generally effective in reducing excessive weight gain in children, with single-component (physical activity) interventions showing stronger effects when curricular sessions are included and enjoyment is emphasized.

Effectiveness of a Multifaceted Intervention for Prevention of Obesity in Primary School Children in China: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

A multifaceted intervention effectively reduced mean BMI and obesity prevalence in primary school children across socioeconomically distinct regions in China, suggesting potential for national scaling.

Interventions to prevent global childhood overweight and obesity: a systematic review.

School-based interventions with combined diet and physical activity components show the greatest effectiveness in preventing childhood obesity worldwide.

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