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Examining current physical activity interventions in Black school-age children and parents: A systematic review
Kashica J Webber-Ritchey1, Miranda Mueller2, Jocelyn Smith Carter3
1School of Nursing, DePaul University, 990 West Fullerton, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60614, United States of America.
Insights
Physical activity (PA) interventions show promise for reducing obesity in Black children. Most studies use a parent-child approach, but more research is needed to optimize parental involvement in PA programs.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Obesity
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Obesity is a significant health concern in Black children and adults.
- Increasing physical activity (PA) is a key strategy for childhood obesity prevention and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing research on PA interventions specifically designed for school-age Black children.
- To identify effective strategies and gaps in current interventions.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across six databases following PRISMA guidelines.
- Included studies comprised randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, and cross-sectional designs.
- Data extraction focused on PA interventions, study designs, and outcomes related to obesity.
Main Results:
- Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria, with most studies (9/13) combining diet and PA interventions.
- Four studies targeting PA and parental role modeling demonstrated positive effects.
- Interventions predominantly utilized a parent-child dyadic approach (13/13) and were theory-guided (11/13), generally of high quality.
Conclusions:
- PA interventions, particularly those involving parent-child dyads, show potential for addressing obesity in Black children.
- Further high-quality, theory-driven research is necessary to refine interventions and clarify the optimal role of parents.
- More detailed descriptions of structured PA components and outcomes in parent-child dyadic interventions are needed.
Abstract:
Obesity is prevalent in Black children and adults; increasing physical activity (PA) can aid in reducing childhood obesity in both age groups. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine current research on PA interventions in school-age Black children. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in six databases for PA interventions in Black children. A total of 13 articles met inclusion criteria (n = 7 randomized controlled trial, n = 5 quasi-experimental, n = 1 cross-sectional). The majority of the articles were on a combination of diet and PA programs (n = 9). Four articles targeted PA and parental role modeling of PA as the outcome showing positive intervention effects. Nine additional studies included PA as an outcome variable along with at least one additional obesity-related predictor. PA interventions for Black school-age children typically use a parent-child dyadic approach (n = 13), are guided by theory (n = 11) and are high quality. However, continued investigation is warranted to draw definitive conclusions and determine how to best involve parents within the PA interventions. Theory-driven higher quality trials that clearly describe the structured PA component and outcomes among Black parent-child dyads are needed.
