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A meta-analytic review of obesity prevention programs for children and adolescents: the skinny on interventions that

Eric Stice1, Heather Shaw, C Nathan Marti

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA. estice@ori.org

Psychological Bulletin
|August 17, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Obesity prevention programs show varied success, with 21% achieving significant weight gain prevention. Key factors for larger effects include targeting children and adolescents, brevity, and focusing solely on weight control.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Behavioral Science
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Obesity is a growing global health concern, particularly among children and adolescents.
  • Effective prevention strategies are crucial to mitigate long-term health consequences.
  • Understanding factors influencing program effectiveness is essential for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and synthesize findings from obesity prevention programs.
  • To identify participant, intervention, delivery, and design characteristics associated with greater effectiveness.
  • To inform the development of more impactful obesity prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Meta-analytic review of 64 obesity prevention programs.
  • Analysis of program features including target population, intervention scope, duration, evaluation setting, and participant selection.
  • Statistical examination of factors correlating with significant weight gain prevention effects.

Main Results:

  • 21% of reviewed programs demonstrated significant weight gain prevention effects, primarily observed as pre- to post-intervention changes.
  • Programs targeting children and adolescents (compared to preadolescents) and females showed larger effects.
  • Brief interventions, those solely focused on weight control, pilot trial evaluations, and self-selected participants yielded greater impact.

Conclusions:

  • Specific program characteristics significantly influence the effectiveness of obesity prevention efforts.
  • Targeting specific demographics and tailoring intervention design are critical for success.
  • Further research should focus on optimizing these identified factors for enhanced public health outcomes.

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