SynthesisBMC public health2014
A systematic review of the effectiveness of individual, community and societal level interventions at reducing socioeconomic inequalities in obesity amongst children.
Synthesis in BMC public health, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 79 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
79 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 226 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of behavioural interventions for preventing obesity in young children from ethnic minority backgrounds: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026Pooled it
- The impact of community-based childhood obesity prevention interventions in Australia by socio-economic position: An individual participant data meta-analysis.Pediatric obesity · 2025Pooled it
- Interventions to prevent obesity in children aged 2 to 4 years old.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Umbrella review of systematic reviews to inform the development and translation of community-based childhood obesity prevention interventions.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025Pooled it
- Interventions to prevent obesity in children aged 12 to 18 years old.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Interventions to prevent obesity in children aged 5 to 11 years old.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Interventions for preventing obesity in children.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Interventions to improve physical activity among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups: an umbrella review.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2018Pooled it
- Use of programme theory to understand the differential effects of interventions across socio-economic groups in systematic reviews-a systematic methodology review.Systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Impact of universal interventions on social inequalities in physical activity among older adults: an equity-focused systematic review.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2017Pooled it
- The impact of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages according to socio-economic position: a systematic review of the evidence.Public health nutrition · 2016Pooled it
- Diet and physical activity interventions to prevent or treat obesity in South Asian children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2015Pooled it
- Effects of Universal School-Based Parental Support for Children's Healthy Diet and Physical Activity-the Healthy School Start Plus Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial.Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research · 2024Trial
- Effectiveness and Implementation of a Text Messaging mHealth Intervention to Prevent Childhood Obesity in Mexico in the COVID-19 Context: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Trial
- Parents' experiences of participating in the Healthy School Start Plus programme - a qualitative study.BMC public health · 2023Trial
- Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development: Current Updates and Global Perspectives: Second Edition.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Article
- Evaluating the contribution of a scaled up community-based overweight prevention programme in the Netherlands to children's health behaviours and BMIz.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025Observational
- Do the effects of interventions aimed at the prevention of childhood obesity reduce inequities? A re-analysis of randomized trial data from two Cochrane reviews.EClinicalMedicine · 2025Article
19 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTackling childhood obesity is one of the major contemporary public health policy challenges and vital in terms of addressing socioeconomic health inequalities.We aimed to systematically review studies of the effectiveness of interventions (individual, community and societal) operating via different approaches (targeted or universal) in reducing socio-economic inequalities in obesity-related outcomes amongst children.
methodsNine electronic databases were searched from start date to October 2012 along with website and grey literature searches. The review examined the best available international evidence from interventions that aimed to prevent obesity, treat obesity, or improve obesity-related behaviours (diet and/or physical activity) amongst children (aged 0-18 years) in any setting and country, so long as they provided relevant information and analysis on both socioeconomic status and obesity-related outcomes. Data extraction and quality appraisal were conducted using established mechanisms and narrative synthesis was conducted.
resultsWe located 23 studies that provided the 'best available' (strongest methodologically) international evidence. At the individual level (n = 4), there was indicative evidence that screen time reduction and mentoring health promotion interventions could be effective in reducing inequalities in obesity. For the community level interventions (n = 17), evidence was inconclusive - with some studies suggesting that school-based health promotion activities and community-based group-based programmes were effective in reducing obesity - others not. Societal level evaluations were few (n = 1). However, there was no evidence to suggest that any of these intervention types increase inequalities and several studies found that interventions could at least prevent the widening of inequalities in obesity. The majority of studies were from America and were of 6-12 year old children.
conclusionsThe review has found only limited evidence although some individual and community based interventions may be effective in reducing socio-economic inequalities in obesity-related outcomes amongst children but further research is required, particularly of more complex, societal level interventions and amongst adolescents.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.