Survey of Barriers and Facilitators to Engagement in a Multidisciplinary Healthy Lifestyles Program for Children

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the child-level effects of family-based interventions for the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIMS

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of family-based health promotion interventions on child-level risk factors for type 2 diabetes in vulnerable families.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist for systematic reviews formed the methodological framework. CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched on January 12, 2024. The NTP-OHAT Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was used to assess the risk of bias in the individual studies, and meta-analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The 4723 studies were identified, and 55 studies met the inclusion criteria. Results showed significant effects on children's body mass index (mean difference [MD], -0.18, 95% CI [-0.33 to -0.03], p = 0.02), body fat percentage (MD, -2.00, 95% CI [-3.31 to -0.69], p = 0.003), daily activity (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.23, 95% CI [0.01; 0.44], p = 0.04), physical activity self-efficacy (SMD, 0.73, 95% CI [0.36 to 1.10], p < 0.01), intake of snacks (MD, -0.10, 95% CI [-0.17 to -0.04], p = 0.002), and sugar-sweetened beverages (SMD, -0.21, 95% CI [-0.42 to -0.01], p = 0.04). Subgroup analyses suggested that interventions aiming to change child and parent behavior simultaneously have larger effect on fasting glucose and nutrition consumption, and that interventions longer than 26 weeks have larger effects on body composition and physical activity behavior than shorter interventions.

Lessons in Adapting a Family-Based Nutrition Program for Children With Autism

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the adaptation and implementation of an existing, evidence-based nutrition program for children with autism and their parents.

METHODS

Children aged 7-12 years with autism and their parent participated in 6 weekly sessions. Recruitment, intervention, and data collection took place in a community health center in an urban area.

RESULTS

Of the 50 referred participants, 38% attended the first classes, and 26% completed the program. Families and staff expressed satisfaction; parents reported increased physical activity, fruit, and vegetable intake in their children. Parents also desired continued learning and individualized recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Adapting family-centered nutrition programs can positively influence diet behaviors in children with autism. As many children with autism battle with obesity, the findings from this pilot provide important insight into supporting these families and can further inform the development of evidence-based practices currently lacking for children with autism and their families.

What affects programme engagement for Māori families? A qualitative study of a family-based, multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle programme for children and adolescents

AIM

It is important that intervention programmes are accessible and acceptable for groups most affected by excess weight. This study aimed to understand the barriers to and facilitators of engagement for Māori in a community-based, assessment-and-intervention healthy lifestyle programme (Whānau Pakari).

METHODS

Sixty-four in-depth, home-based interviews were conducted with past service users. Half of these were with families with Māori children and half with non-Māori families. The interviews were thematically analysed with peer debriefing for validity.

RESULTS

Māori families experienced barriers due to racism throughout the health system and society, which then affected their ability to engage with the programme. Key barriers included the institutionalised racism evident through substantial structural barriers and socio-economic challenges, the experience of interpersonal racism and its cumulative impact with weight stigma, and internalised racism and beliefs of biological determinism. Responses to these barriers were distrust of health services, followed by renewed engagement or complete disengagement. Participants identified culturally appropriate care as that which was compassionate, respectful, and focused on relationship building.

CONCLUSIONS

While Whānau Pakari is considered appropriate due to the approach of the delivery team, this is insufficient to retain some Māori families who face increased socio-economic and structural barriers. Past instances of weight stigma and racism have enduring effects when re-engaging with future health services, and inequities are likely to persist until these issues are addressed within the health system and wider society.

Correspondence: systematic reviews do not always capture context of real-world intervention programmes for childhood obesity (response to Littlewood, et al., 2020 in BMC Public Health)

In a recent issue of the BMC Public Health journal, Littlewood et al. described the results of a systematic review of interventions to prevent or treat childhood obesity in Māori or Pacific Island peoples. They found that studies to date have had limited impact on improving health outcomes for Māori and Pacific Island peoples, and suggest this may be due to a lack of co-design principles in the conception of the various studies. Ensuring that interventions are appropriate for groups most affected by obesity is critical; however, some inaccuracies should be noted in the explanation of these findings. There is a risk with systematic reviews that the context of intervention trials is lost without acknowledging the associated body of literature for programmes that refer to the ongoing commitment to communities and groups most affected by obesity.

Challenges of making healthy lifestyle changes for families in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Objective:

The objective of the current study was to identify challenges of making and sustaining healthy lifestyle changes for families with children/adolescents affected by obesity, who were referred to a multicomponent healthy lifestyle assessment and intervention programme in Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ).

Design:

Secondary qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews.

Setting:

Taranaki region of Aotearoa/NZ.

Participants:

Thirty-eight interviews with parents/caregivers (n 42) of children/adolescents who had previously been referred to a family-focused multidisciplinary programme for childhood obesity intervention, who identified challenges of making healthy lifestyle changes. Participants had varying levels of engagement, including those who declined contact after their referral.

Results:

Participant-identified challenges included financial cost, impact of the food environment, time pressures, stress, maintaining consistency across households, independence in adolescence, concern for mental health and frustration when not seeing changes in weight status.

Conclusions:

Participants recognised a range of factors that contributed towards their ability to make and sustain change, including factors at the wider socio-environmental level beyond their immediate control. Even with the support of a multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle programme, participants found it difficult to make sustained changes within an obesogenic environment. Healthy lifestyle intervention programmes and families’ abilities to make and sustain changes require alignment of prevention efforts, focusing on policy changes to improve the food environment and eliminate structural inequities.

Determining barriers and facilitators to engagement for families in a family-based, multicomponent healthy lifestyles intervention for children and adolescents: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

Recruitment and retention in child and adolescent healthy lifestyle intervention services for childhood obesity is challenging, and inequalities across social groups are persistent. This study aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to engagement in a multicomponent assessment-and-intervention healthy lifestyle programme for children and their families, based in the home and community.

DESIGN

Qualitative interview-based study of past users (n=76) of a family-based multicomponent healthy lifestyle programme in a mixed urban-rural region of New Zealand. Semistructured, home-based interviews were conducted and thematically analysed with peer debriefing for validity.

PARTICIPANTS

Families were selected through stratified random sampling to include a range of levels of engagement, including those who declined their referral, with equal numbers of interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous families.

RESULTS

Three interactive and compounding determinants were identified as influencing engagement in Whānau Pakari: acute and chronic life stressors, societal norms of weight and body size and historical experiences of healthcare. These determinants were present across societal, system and healthcare service levels. A negative referral experience to Whānau Pakari often resulted in participants declining further input or disengaging from the programme. A fourth domain, respectful and compassionate healthcare, was identified as a mitigator of these three themes, facilitating participant engagement despite previous negative experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

While participant engagement in healthy lifestyle programmes is affected by determinants which appear to operate outside immediate service provision, the programme is an opportunity to acknowledge past instances of stigma and the wider challenges of healthy lifestyle change. The experience of the referral to Whānau Pakari is important for setting the scene for future engagement in the programme. Respectful, compassionate care is critical to enhanced retention in multidisciplinary healthy lifestyle programmes and ongoing engagement in healthcare services overall.