Interventions to prevent obesity in the first 1000 days: scoping review

The global prevalence of childhood obesity is a public health challenge. Early intervention, including during pregnancy, is essential to prevent this health problem.

Identify and characterize interventions during the first 1000 days of life that effectively prevent overweight and obesity.

A scoping review was carried out following the methodology proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. SCOPUS, EBSCOHost and PubMed databases were searched to select relevant articles. The analysis focused on articles published between January 2012 and December 2022.

Fourteen articles with 10 interventions were included. These interventions were implemented in high-income countries and in racial and ethnic groups. Three interventions, involving 1013 women and their children, reported significant effects on preventing overweight and obesity at 18 and 24 months of the child's life.

The interventions were characterized as multi-component, educational and based on theories of behavior change, parenting and sensory feeding. They addressed risk factors such as breastfeeding, complementary feeding, physical activity and sleep. There is an increasing use of digital technology in their delivery.

Promising results have been found for the prevention of obesity in the early years of life; therefore, implementation of interventions in low- and middle-income countries is of paramount importance.