Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40715437›Full record

ArticleJournal of public health policy2025

Accountability for tackling childhood obesity: insights from local councillors in England.

Ravita Taheem, Kathryn Woods-Townsend, Wendy Lawrence, Janis Baird, Keith M Godfrey, Mark A Hanson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of public health policy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ravita TaheemNIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK. R.Taheem@soton.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7655-4400
Kathryn Woods-TownsendNIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
Wendy LawrenceNIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
Janis BairdNIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
Keith M GodfreyNIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
Mark A HansonNIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.

Funding

Interdisciplinary Research Network on Early Adversity & Later Life ReversibilityU24AG047867 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI GODFREY, KEITH, MCEWEN, BRUCE S. · 2014 to 2018
$954k
British Heart Foundation RG/15/17/3174European Union Erasmus+ Programme ImpENSA 598488-EPP-1-2018-1-DE-EPPKA2-CBHE-JPMedical Research Council MC_UU_12011/4National Institute for Health and Care Research NF-SI-0515-10042National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre IS-BRC-1215-20004National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre StudentshipNIA NIH HHS U24 AG047867US National Institute On Aging of the National Institutes of Health U24AG047867
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tackling the complex drivers of childhood obesity requires action across sectors and at all levels of government. Elected officials in local government can influence policies targeting communities to prevent childhood obesity, but little is known about their views on local government accountability for tackling the issue. Accountability is the obligation to justify actions on a topic and it could strengthen policy implementation. A qualitative study was conducted involving semi-structured interviews with sixteen Southampton City Council local government councillors. Factors limiting accountability included low citizen engagement, the lack of a national mandate to support local action and unachievable targets. Factors that improved accountability included setting a local mandate, public health officers proactively keeping the issue on the agenda and oversight from other system leaders. The findings from this study inform how public health officers and other stakeholders can work within the local system to progress childhood obesity prevention policies.

Indexed as

Local GovernmentPediatric ObesitySocial ResponsibilityChildEnglandHealth PolicyHumansInterviews as TopicQualitative ResearchChildhood obesityGovernanceHealth promotionLocal governmentPublic health

Identifiers

PMID40715437
PMCPMC12586169

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.