Childhood obesity prevention studies: lessons learned and to be learned.
OBJECTIVE
To provide an overview of methodological issues in the design, delivery and evaluation of childhood obesity prevention programmes.


METHODS
Review of existing literature.


METHODS
International.


RESULTS
Interventions have varied considerably with regard to their design, subject selection criteria, sample size, attrition rates, intervention components and duration of both the intervention and the follow-up phases. However, overall, there is only a limited body of consistent, high-quality evidence on which valid and generalisable conclusions can be drawn about best practices for the prevention of childhood obesity.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the rationale for targeting children and adolescents through primary prevention is now compelling, effective obesity prevention remains elusive. There is increasing consensus that prevention of childhood obesity necessitates multifaceted health promotion interventions based on population health principles. By definition, such interventions should have a range of outcome indicators of effectiveness, generalisability and sustainability, not just the traditional ones focused on individual lifestyle behaviour change. Given the complexity and intricacy of population-based intervention programmes, multiple methods of data collection which combine both qualitative and quantitative approaches will need to be fully exploited in order to move towards evidence-based practice in the future.
Livingstone
M B E
MB
School of Biomedical Sciences, Northern Ireland Centre for Food and health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK. mbe.livingstone@ulster.ac.uk
McCaffrey
T A
TA
Rennie
K L
KL
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012106:Research; D012111:Residence Characteristics