Population-level intervention strategies and examples for obesity prevention in children

Abstract

With obesity affecting approximately 12.5 million American youth, population-level interventions are indicated to help support healthy behaviors. The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of population-level intervention strategies and specific intervention examples that illustrate ways to help prevent and control obesity in children through improving nutrition and physical activity behaviors. Information is summarized within the settings where children live, learn, and play (early care and education, school, community, health care, home). Intervention strategies are activities or changes intended to promote healthful behaviors in children. They were identified from (a) systematic reviews; (b) evidence- and expert consensus-based recommendations, guidelines, or standards from nongovernmental or federal agencies; and finally (c) peer-reviewed synthesis reviews. Intervention examples illustrate how at least one of the strategies was used in a particular setting. To identify interventions examples, we considered (a) peer-reviewed literature as well as (b) additional sources with research-tested and practice-based initiatives. Researchers and practitioners may use this review as they set priorities and promote integration across settings and to find research- and practice-tested intervention examples that can be replicated in their communities for childhood obesity prevention.

Figure 1

An ecological framework depicting the multiple influences on child eating and physical activity. (Adapted from Reference , with permission.)

Figure 2

Framework for multi-setting, multi-level interventions for obesity prevention in children. The best population-level interventions can be selected for each setting and for providing linkages and integration across settings (e.g., community health workers or community coalitions). These can be applied in multiple settings and supported by multiple levels (e.g., education, social support, policy, system, environment change) of interventions in a population (e.g., neighborhood, city, county, state). The goal of this model is to create healthy places for children; the outputs can fill research gaps, and the findings can be shared with stakeholders such as policy makers and other communities in order to support children in healthy eating and physical activity.