Advances in Pediatric Research
Open Access

Abstract

Systematic review on effectiveness of interventional programmes in treating childhood obesity

Hasanain Faisal Ghazi, Zaleha Md. Isa, Mohd Rizal Abdul Manaf, Diana Binti Mahat, Norazman Mohd Rosli, Mohd Ihsani Mahmood, Maged Elnajeh

Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity is alarming and studies have shown that overweight and obese children carry more risk of developing a range of related health problems when they become older. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of childhood obesity intervention programmes. Methods: Systematic review of published literature from 2008 to 2015. Articles were excluded if they were published before 2008, if they were not published in English; if they had incomplete statistical data; and if the participants did not belong to the age category of 6 to 12 years. All eligible articles were independently reviewed by two reviewers to assess study quality. Results: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. Most were conducted in a health care setting (n = 5) or schoolbased setting (n = 4), including one in a rural area. Half of the articles were published in 2013 and all studies had an almost equal gender distribution. All studies sought reduction in anthropometric/ body composition as their main outcomes. Only three studies were rated as strong in quality while the others were moderate. Conclusions: Most of the interventional studies included in our review showed a significant improvement for obese children. Four out of 11 studies showed that physical activity and diet had a great impact on child obesity, while other studies showed that a hospital-care setting or school-based setting and parental involvement were more beneficial in treating obesity.

Published Date: 2017-08-30;