Family-based lifestyle interventions: What makes them successful? A systematic literature review

Nearly one in five young people in the United States has obesity, putting one-fifth of America's children at higher risk of having chronic health conditions and of having obesity into adulthood. Family-based lifestyle interventions (FBLI) have been proposed as effective mechanisms to improve the health through health education and the adoption of healthier behaviors. The aim of this review is to identify and summarize effective intervention activities and lessons learned that organizations can adopt when planning health promotion interventions for families, and to assess the effect of family-based lifestyle interventions on BMI z-score. A systematic review on lifestyle health-promotion interventions for families was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) statements. Inclusion criteria were: duration ≥12 weeks and inclusion of family members. Summary data about the assessment tools, intervention strategies, and outcomes in parents and children were extracted and compared for all studies. A meta-analysis of BMI z-score change was conducted. Thirty-four articles were included in this review. Frequent strategies used were delivering education and training on healthy habits and well-being (94%), engaging community in the planning and implementation phases (80.6%) and providing reminders and feedback (47.2%). BMI z-score mean differences were reported in 40 cohorts and included in a meta-analysis, with no statistically significant differences between groups. The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that components of a successful family lifestyle intervention program include duration between six to twelve months and delivery in a community setting. Other key factors include constructing a multidisciplinary team, using a mentor/role model approach, and reinforcing messaging with technology.