- Title
- Involvement of fathers in pediatric obesity treatment and prevention trials: a systematic review
- Creator
- Morgan, Philip J.; Young, Myles D.; Lloyd, Adam B.; Wang, Monica L.; Eather, Narelle; Miller, Andrew; Murtagh, Elaine M.; Barnes, Alyce T.; Pagoto, Sherry L.
- Relation
- Pediatrics Vol. 139, Issue 2, no. e20162635
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2635
- Publisher
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2017
- Description
- Context: Despite their important influence on child health, it is assumed that fathers are less likely than mothers to participate in pediatric obesity treatment and prevention research. Objective: This review investigated the involvement of fathers in obesity treatment and prevention programs targeting children and adolescents (0–18 years). Data Sources: A systematic review of English, peer-reviewed articles across 7 databases. Retrieved records included at least 1 search term from 2 groups: “participants” (eg, child*, parent*) and “outcomes": (eg, obes*, diet*). Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing behavioral interventions to prevent or treat obesity in pediatric samples were eligible. Parents must have “actively participated” in the study. Data Extraction: Two authors independently extracted data using a predefined template. Results: The search retrieved 213 eligible RCTs. Of the RCTs that limited participation to 1 parent only (n = 80), fathers represented only 6% of parents. In RCTs in which participation was open to both parents (n = 133), 92% did not report objective data on father involvement. No study characteristics moderated the level of father involvement, with fathers underrepresented across all study types. Only 4 studies (2%) suggested that a lack of fathers was a possible limitation. Two studies (1%) reported explicit attempts to increase father involvement. Limitations: The review was limited to RCTs published in English peer-reviewed journals over a 10-year period. Conclusions: Existing pediatric obesity treatment or prevention programs with parent involvement have not engaged fathers. Innovative strategies are needed to make participation more accessible and engaging for fathers.
- Subject
- fathers; Dads; pediatric obesity; children's health; systematic review; pediatric obesity treatment; prevention research
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1392784
- Identifier
- uon:33456
- Identifier
- ISSN:0031-4005
- Language
- eng
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Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
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