Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review on Prevention Strategies Discourse Among Parents on Social Networking Sites

Nurzihan Hassim, Syarifah Nurleyana Wafa, Rabiah Adawiah Abu Seman

Abstract


Childhood obesity has become a major public health concern on a global scale. The World Health Organization reported that 39 million children under the age of five are overweight or obese, and this number will reach 70 million in 2025 if current trends continue. Given the prominence of this issue, parents require a stronger grasp of the effective prevention strategies. At present, social networking sites (SNS) have become the preferred sources of information for many parents. This systematic review examines how parents, as main decision-makers of their household nutrition intake, obtain and share prevention information on SNS. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was adopted in reviewing articles sourced from Scopus and Web of Science journal databases. A total of 272 studies were initially identified discussing the subject of childhood obesity prevention strategies from the perspective of parents but only 38 met the inclusion criteria and therefore were analysed for this study. The findings explained the exchange of information, experiences, and support among parents and caregivers regarding childhood obesity prevention with the access to SNS. This includes understanding the importance of applying healthy eating habits, increasing physical activity, limiting screen time, and fostering a supportive home environment. This review also informs the specific areas and content of research that should be focused for future studies.

 

Keywords: Childhood obesity, prevention strategies, social media, social networking sites, parental discussions.

 

https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2025-4103-12


Full Text:

PDF

References


Ahmad, N., Shariff, Z. M., Mukhtar, F., & Lye, M.-S. (2020). Effect of family-based REDUCE intervention program on children eating behavior and dietary intake: Randomized controlled field trial. Nutrients, 12(10): 3065. http://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103065

Alam, A., Chowdhury, M., Dibley, M. J., & Raynes-Greenow, C. (2021). How can we improve the consumption of a nutritionally balanced maternal diet in rural Bangladesh? The key elements of the balanced plate intervention. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 17(17), 6289. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176289

Azevedo, J., Padrão, P., Gregório, M. J., Almeida, C., Moutinho, N., Lien, N., & Barros, R. (2019). A web-based gamification program to improve nutrition literacy in families of 3- to 5-year-old children: The nutriscience project. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 51(3), 326-345. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2018.10.008

Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 210-230. https://doi.org/gzn

Criss, S., Blaine, R. E., Palamé, M., Perkins, M., Davison, K., Kwass, J.-A., & Taveras, E. M. (2019). Health marketing for the Massachusetts childhood obesity research demonstration study: A case study. Health Promotion Practice, 20(2), 61-75. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839918760842

Duh-Leong, C., & Braganza, S. (2020). Social networks and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in a pediatric urban academic practice. Behavioral Medicine, 46(1), 271-285. http://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2018.1534077

Feng, Y., & Tong, Q. (2022). Exploring the mediating role of situation awareness and crisis emotions between social media use and COVID-19 protective behaviors: Cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 793033. https://doi.org/p6xv

Hammersley, M. L., Okely, A. D., Batterham, M. J., & Jones, R. A. (2020). Can parental engagement in social media enhance outcomes of an online healthy lifestyle program for preschool-aged children? Health Communication, 35(9), 425-439. http://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2019.1620423

Hauer, M., & Sood, S. (2020). Using social media to communicate sustainable preventive measures and curtail misinformation. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 568324. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568324

Henström, M., Duncanson, K., Collins, C. E., Ashton, L. M., Davidson, E., & Ball, R. (2022). Online reach and engagement of a child nutrition peer-education program (PICNIC): insights from social media and web analytics. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1-12. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13252-3

Holmberg, C., Berg, C., Dahlgren, J., Lissner, L., & Chaplin, J. E. (2019). Health literacy in a complex digital media landscape: Pediatric obesity patients’ experiences with online weight, food, and health information. Health Informatics Journal, 25(4), 1343-1357. http://doi.org/10.1177/1460458218759699

Huang, X., Lee, K., & Patel, N. (2022). Cross-cultural patterns in parental digital health information seeking: An eight-country comparative study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(16), 9842. https://doi.org/g6fsg5

Jang, M., Brown, R., & Vang, P. Y. (2021). The relationships between parental stress, home food environment, and child diet patterns in families of preschool children. American Journal of Health Behavior, 35(1), 60-76. http://doi.org/10.1177/0890117120929541

Kraus, S., Breier, M., & Dasí-Rodríguez, S. (2020). The art of crafting a systematic literature review in entrepreneurship research. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 16(3), 1023-1042. https://doi.org/ght9xf

Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P., ... & Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate healthcare interventions: Explanation and elaboration. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000100. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000100

Nguyen, P. H., Frongillo, E. A., Kim, S. S., Zongrone, A. A., Jilani, A., Tran, L. M., & Menon, P. (2019). Information diffusion and social norms are associated with infant and young child feeding practices in Bangladesh. The Journal of Nutrition, 149(11), 2034-2045. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxz167

Petkovic, J., Duench, S., Trawin, J., Dewidar, O., Pardo, P., Simeon, R., Desmeules, M., Gagnon, D., Roberts, J., Hossain, A., Pottie, K., Rader, T., Tugwell, P., Yoganathan, M., Presseau, J., & Welch, V. (2021). Behavioural interventions delivered through interactive social media for health behaviour change, health outcomes, and health equity in the adult population. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 5, CD01293. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012932.pub2

Qian, W., & Hassim, N. (2022). Examining the representation of childhood obesity in Malaysian newspapers. SEARCH Journal, 14(2), 77-91.

Reid Chassiakos, Y. L., Radesky, J., Christakis, D., Moreno, M. A., Cross, C., Hill, D., & Swanson, W. S. (2016). Children and adolescents and digital media. Pediatrics, 138(5), e20162593. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2593

Roed, M., Hillesund, E. R., Vik, F. N., & Overby, N. C. (2019). The Food4toddlers study - study protocol for a web-based intervention to promote healthy diets for toddlers: A randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 19, 563-575. https://doi.org/p6xz

Sampasa-Kanyinga, H., Colman, I., Goldfield, G. S., Janssen, I., Wang, J., Podinic, I., ... & Chaput, J. P. (2020). Combinations of physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep duration and their associations with depressive symptoms and other mental health problems in children and adolescents: A systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 17(1), 72. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-00976-x

Seiler, J., Libby, T., Jackson, E., Lingappa, J., & Evans, W. (2022). Social media–based interventions for health behavior change in low- and middle-income countries: Systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(4), e31889. https://doi.org/10.2196/31889

Shaw, R. J. (2023). Access to technology and digital literacy as determinants of health and health care. Creative nursing, 29(3), 258-263. https://doi.org/gtzzv3

Singh, A., Uijtdewilligen, L., Twisk, J. W., Van Mechelen, W., & Chinapaw, M. J. (2012). Physical activity and performance at school: A systematic review of the literature including a methodological quality assessment. JAMA Pediatrics, 166(1), 49-55. http://doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.716

Skelton, J. A., Buehler, C., Irby, M. B., & Grzywacz, J. G. (2012). Where are family theories in family-based obesity treatment? Conceptualizing the study of families in pediatric weight management. International Journal of Obesity, 36(7), 891-900. http://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.56

Till, S., Mkhize, M., Farao, J., Shandu, L. D., Muthelo, L., Coleman, T. L., & Densmore, M. (2021). Digital health technologies for maternal and child health in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries: Cross-disciplinary scoping review with stakeholder consultation. J Med Internet Res, 25, e42161. http://doi.org/10.2196/42161

Vega-Ramírez, L., Notario, R. O., & Ávalos-Ramos, M. A. (2020). The relevance of mobile applications in the learning of physical education. Education Sciences, 10(11), 329.

World Health Organization. (2020). Childhood overweight and obesity. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight

Wu, Y., Ma, X., Fraser, W. D., Li, M., Wang, W., Huang, H., & Jiang, H. (2021). Caregivers' perceptions, challenges and service needs related to tackling childhood obesity: A qualitative study in three districts of Shanghai, China. BMC Public Health, 21, 768. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10744-6

Zhou, P., Song, H., Lau, P. W. C., Shi, L., & Wang, J. (2024). Effectiveness of a parent-based ehealth intervention for physical activity, dietary behavior, and sleep among preschoolers: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Res Protoc, 13, e58344. https://doi.org/10.2196/58344


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


e-ISSN: 2289-1528