Involvement of Non-Parental Caregivers in Obesity Prevention Interventions among 0-3-Year-Old Children: A Scoping
Andrea Ramirez1, Alison Tovar2, Gretel Garcia3
1Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA.
Insights
Involving non-parental caregivers in child obesity prevention shows promise for improving early health behaviors. While most interventions didn't significantly impact weight, they positively influenced behaviors like diet and screen time.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
- Early interventions are crucial for establishing healthy habits.
- The role of non-parental caregivers in these interventions is increasingly recognized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review of literature on non-parental caregiver involvement in child obesity prevention.
- To identify interventions targeting children aged 0-3 years and their non-parental caregivers.
- To analyze the impact of these interventions on anthropometric and behavioral outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Scoping review following the Arksey and O'Malley framework.
- Inclusion of studies published between 2000-2021, focusing on children aged 0-3 years.
- Exclusion of interventions without non-parental caregiver involvement.
Main Results:
- 14 studies met inclusion criteria, mostly from the US (2013-2020).
- Eight interventions included non-parental caregivers alongside parents or exclusively.
- No significant impact on anthropometric outcomes, but improvements in behavioral outcomes (diet, feeding practices, screen time) were observed.
Conclusions:
- Interventions involving non-parental caregivers show potential for shaping early health behaviors.
- Future interventions should consider leveraging non-parental caregivers for obesity prevention.
- Further research is needed to optimize strategies for non-parental caregiver engagement.
Introduction:
We examined the scope of literature including non-parental caregiver involvement in child obesity prevention interventions.
Methods:
We conducted a scoping review following the Arksey and O'Malley framework, including only studies reporting the effect of an intervention on growth, weight, or early childhood obesity risk among children ages 0 to three years, published between 2000 and 2021. Interventions that did not include non-parental caregivers (adults regularly involved in childcare other than parents) were excluded.
Results:
Of the 14 studies that met the inclusion criteria, all were published between 2013 and 2020, and most interventions (n = 9) were implemented in the United States. Eight of the 14 interventions purposefully included other non-parental caregivers: five included both parents and non-parental caregivers, and the remaining three included only non-parental caregivers. Most interventions (n = 9) showed no significant impact on anthropometric outcomes. All interventions found improvements in at least one behavioral outcome (e.g., food groups intake (n = 5), parental feeding practices (n = 3), and screen time (n = 2)). This review can inform future interventions that plan to involve non-parental caregivers, which may be beneficial in shaping early health behaviors and preventing obesity early in life.
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