Using Evidence to Recommend Interventions for Long-term Weight Control in Overweight Children

Childhood obesity can lead to later life-threatening conditions that impact negatively on quality of life, morbidity and mortality outcomes. There are a considerable number of research studies, specifically interventions that have been conducted the last 2 decades with overweight children and their families. Yet, there is variability in the methodological rigor of the studies, and some of the more rigorous designs reported in meta-analyses are a challenge to implement in practice. Therefore, nurse practitioners who work with these children find it challenging to make feasible and effective recommendations. This paper describes a method that can be used to evaluate individual interventions that have been found effective for long-term weight control in children and adolescents. The RCTs from a 2009 meta-analysis of interventions for treating obesity in children and adolescents were evaluated for external validity using a generalizability assessment framework by Green and Glasgow. Pediatric nurse practitioners who deal with the complicated health challenges of obesity in children are best positioned to use evidence-based interventions to guide their recommendations to children and families. The framework presented in this paper will help guide their decisions on which interventions should be implemented.