[Effectiveness evaluation of healthy lifestyle interventions in childhood obesity prevention: a systematic review].
BACKGROUND
There is significant reporting on evidence-based research in the literature regarding lifestyle modification programs. There is a need to review and synthesize results in order to develop childhood obesity prevention and intervention strategy recommendations.


OBJECTIVE
Main purposes of the present review were to update the systematic review and critical appraisal of recent evidence in this area and assess the efficacy and quality of published research studies.


METHODS
Studies included in this review incorporated the following inclusion criteria: obese children participants 5 to 14 years of age; a face-to-face randomized-controlled study with a 4-week intervention period; and anthropometry, physical activity, sedentary behavior evaluated as primary outcomes after > 6 months. Eleven studies met the 3 inclusion criteria. All were found using the following key word string: RCT or CCT interventional study researches, childhood obesity, overweight, preventive intervention, healthy lifestyle".


RESULTS
Evidence from these studies showed that all interventions varied in terms of approach and settings. Most provided a healthy lifestyle program duration of more than 15 minutes per week. Those that included culturally sensitive diet education and 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise everyday significantly enhanced childhood obesity prevention in terms of both anthropometry and dietary habits and decreased sedentary behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that effective healthy lifestyle programs for childhood obesity prevention in Taiwan should provide dietary guidance sensitive to Taiwanese dietary habits, encourage daily physical activities, and decrease sedentary behavior.
Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan, ROC. jialing@mail.cgu.edu.tw.
Angela Shin-Yu
AS
Lien
Yen-Hua
YH
Cho
Jia-Ling
JL
Tsai
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*
childhood obesity prevention; effectiveness evaluation; healthy lifestyle; systematic review