Exploring Community Readiness for Childhood Obesity Prevention: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

The community readiness (CR) level is a critical factor affecting the success and sustainability of prevention programs.

This study systematically reviews research utilizing the community readiness model (CRM) to assess CR for childhood obesity prevention programs, identifying readiness levels and summarizing their characteristics and outcomes.

A comprehensive electronic and manual search was performed across multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Pub Psych, ERIC, ProQuest, and CINAHL, as well as two key journals: Preventing chronic disease and health education and behavior. The search adhered to predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies evaluating CR for obesity prevention in children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years were included, with no restrictions based on gender, race, ethnicity, or language. Three reviewers conducted data extraction and assessed the risk of bias using two appraisal forms from the Joanna Briggs Institute.

A total of 27 studies were included, with 24 conducted in high-income countries. Readiness levels across studies ranged from the first to the fifth stages. Communities generally reached the highest stage in the community effort dimension but were at the lowest stage regarding community climate and knowledge about the issue. The heterogeneity of the studies made it challenging to compare CR levels among different communities.

This study provides an overview of CR levels and objectives of CR assessments, highlighting the significance of bottom-up interventions in childhood obesity prevention. It emphasizes the necessity of conducting context-specific readiness assessments before implementing interventions.