Effectiveness of School-based Intervention Studies on Childhood Obesity: a Systematic Review

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine new research evidence and update the review of interventions for the prevention of childhood obesity in school children and determine the effectiveness of the school-based interventions. A systematic review on English literature was conducted between 2010 and 2015 from 2 databases (PubMed, Science Direct) and 1 journal (Obesity Reviews) for relevant randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, and natural experimental studies. Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Effec-tiveness of the intervention varied according to the outcomes. Intervention period varied from 10 weeks to 3 academic years. More than 60% of the studies had significant reduction in BMI, BMI-z scores, BMI-percen-tile, overweight and/or obesity. Interventions with more than one component had more significant changes in BMI as compared to single component. Studies with intervention period of between 1-2 years had a higher effectiveness as compared to studies with less than 1 year or more than 2 years. Evidence strongly suggests that multi-component approach on school-based interventions indicate a promising approach to reduce childhood obesity. Future research is needed to determine the optimal length, intensity, and long-term effectiveness of school-based interventions with higher sustainability.