A systematic review of obesity interventions targeting anthropometric changes in youth with intellectual disabilities

Due to the increased prevalence of obesity and disparity experienced by youth with intellectual disabilities, efforts to synthesize existing knowledge of interventions to attenuate obesity within this marginalized population is imperative. The purpose of this investigation is to systematically analyze interventions targeting anthropometric changes in youth with intellectual disabilities. A search of Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Educational Resources Information Center, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, and Psychological Information Database was conducted for the time frame of January 2006 to October 2016. Data extraction resulted in a total of 10 interventions that met inclusion criteria. Included studies mainly comprised participants having mild-to-moderate intellectual disability with diverse comorbidities. Five studies indicated significant positive outcomes in at least one anthropometric measure. The majority of programs utilized physical activity targeting individual-level change as the primary intervention modality. Weaknesses of the reviewed studies and inconclusive evidence indicate the need for additional research to gauge the effectiveness of interventions to treat obesity among youth with intellectual disabilities.