Abstract
As the prevalence of obesity and subsequent health disparities increases among children from racial and/or ethnic minority groups in the United States, family-based interventions, a method of using the power of family members to achieve health-related goals, might be an effective strategy to reduce obesity related health disparities. This scoping review aimed to synthesize the published literature on family-based childhood obesity prevention interventions from 2015 to 2021 that focused on children 2-5 years of age from racial and/or ethnic minority households. Fourteen individual studies were identified after searching and screening articles from the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. Most of the interventions used multiple components for promoting nutritional knowledge and behavioral changes among families. Eight interventions included culturally tailored components targeting four aspects: 1) language barriers, 2) food choices, 3) relationships between family members, and 4) rapport building. Despite growing evidence supporting the development of family-based childhood obesity prevention interventions, there is limited research in this field focusing on children from racial and/or ethnic minority groups, especially for those who identify as Black/African American. Future efforts should invest in developing culturally appropriate interventions for these groups.
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