Family-Based Interventions Targeting Childhood Obesity: A Meta-Analysis

With the rising prevalence of childhood obesity over the last several decades, and the call for more family-based intervention research to combat childhood obesity, it is important to examine the extant research on family-based interventions in order to make recommendations and improve future research.

To conduct a meta-analysis of family-based interventions targeting childhood obesity in the last decade in order to inform the research in the next decade.

A literature review was conducted between December 2009-April 2010. Studies published between the years 2000-2009 that used family-based interventions to treat childhood obesity were included. A total of 20 studies met inclusionary criteria.

Although results varied by study design, the majority of studies had a moderate to large effect size for change in the target child's BMI (BMI percentile, zBMI, percent overweight) after participating in a family-based intervention. Long-term change varied by study, but the majority of studies produced sustainable change in child BMI, although smaller effect sizes. Change in secondary variables (dietary intake, sugar-sweetened beverage intake, physical activity) were substantially different between studies and are reported as trends.

To date, there is preliminary evidence suggesting that family-based interventions targeting childhood obesity are successful in producing weight loss in the short and long-term. Including families in weight loss treatment of obese children warrants further implementation and study. Limitations with the research, recommendations for future research, and implications for practitioners working with overweight/obese children are discussed.