Environmental Considerations in Childhood Obesity Prevention. Which factors facilitate success?

Abstract: Background: The rapidly rising prevalence of childhood on a global scale is closely linked to changes in the environment. Childhood obesity is ranged as one of the most serious challenges to public health in the 21st century. Community-based interventions that pay explicit attention to environmental factors appear most likely to bring success. Aim: The aim of the review is to identify environmental factors that impact success in community-based childhood obesity prevention interventions. Method: Ten articles were selected for review through a systematic search with a pre-defined search strategy. A systematic literature review with a qualitative approach and a qualitative manifest content analysis was conducted. Result: The analysis enabled the definition of three categories and eleven sub-categories related to environment. The three main categories are: built environment, food environment and social environment. The social environment is most frequently and most extensively considered; this is followed by the food environment and, lastly, the built environment. Conclusion: This review contributes to the emerging literature on feasibility and applicability of intervention components that consider environmental changes. It also demonstrates that there is an urgent need for further documentation; policy makers need evidence-based data in order to mobilize support and justify funding for public health efforts to prevent childhood obesity. Although a single determinant of success cannot be identified, the analysis shows that community participation and capacity building contribute to the sustainability of interventions and, hence also, to chances of success.