How effective are obesity prevention programs implemented in schools with African American children compared to other children? Findings from a systematic review

Background: Obesity in children and adolescents is a worldwide epidemic that is anticipated to worsen over time and those affected most by obesity-related illnesses are ethnic minority children.The effectiveness of school-based obesity prevention programs differ across racial/ethnic groups. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess school-based obesity prevention programs and their effectiveness with African American children compared to the general population of children.

Method: Studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected among quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Seventeen studies meeting a priori inclusion criteria were extracted from 230 reports accessed through 10 electronic databases.

Results: The general findings for this study revealed that of the four interventions, (nutrition modification focused, exercise focused, health education focused, and hybrid focused) those that were most effective incorporated physical activity for at least 35 minutes daily for 10 months. Health education integrated into classroom curriculum across multiple subjects was also effective.

Conclusion: For school-based obesity prevention programs to be effective with African American children, they must be created based on a culturally appropriate theoretical paradigm(s) within a strong hybrid (vigorous physical activity and health education integrated across multiple classroom subjects) intervention. The social work profession holds a unique position to address obesity from the individual, family, group, organization, community, and policy perspectives (Delgado, 2013). Social workers and the profession as a whole should seek to become more actively engaged in coalitions, research, and scholarship on obesity.