Obesity: a systematic review on parental involvement in long-term European childhood weight control interventions...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue in Europe, affecting approximately 20% of children.
• Parental responsibility is recognized as a crucial element in successful childhood weight management interventions.
• Understanding the nuances of parental involvement is essential for optimizing intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and describe the intensity of parental involvement in long-term European childhood weight control interventions.
• To analyze the behavior change techniques employed to target parents in these interventions.
• To categorize parental involvement based on intensity and link it to intervention effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of European Union studies targeting parents to improve children's weight status.
• Inclusion criteria: multi-component interventions (parental, behavioral, nutritional) with objectively measured anthropometric outcomes.
• Parental involvement categorized by intensity and coded using a validated behavior change taxonomy for childhood obesity.

Main Results:

• Twenty-four studies were analyzed.
• Effective long-term treatment interventions most frequently featured medium and high intensity parental involvement.
• Prevention studies most frequently utilized low intensity parental involvement.
• Parenting skills, both general and lifestyle-specific, were frequently noted in effective interventions.

Conclusions:

• The intensity of parental involvement is a critical factor in the success of long-term childhood weight control interventions.
• Behavior change techniques targeting parents are important components of effective interventions.
• Tailoring the intensity of parental involvement to intervention goals (treatment vs. prevention) may enhance outcomes.