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Healthcare
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Interventions for Preventing Obesity in Children and Adolescents
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Interventions for Preventing Obesity in Children and Adolescents

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "School Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2025) | Viewed by 5335

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Louise A. Kelly

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Exercise Science Department, California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, CA 93065, USA
Interests: concussion; mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI); care
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Healthcare welcomes submissions for a Special Issue entitled “Interventions for Preventing Obesity in Children and Adolescents”. Healthcare is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on health care systems, industry, technology, policy, and regulation. Healthcare’s current impact factor is 2.8. More details can be found at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/healthcare.

The global childhood obesity epidemic has led to an increased awareness of low physical activity as a major public health concern. Behaviors that contribute to obesity, including the consumption of highly energy dense foods, low physical activity and high levels of sedentary behaviors, appear to be characteristic of today’s youth.  There is a plethora of evidence to suggest that physical activity contributes significantly to reducing obesity along with associated health. Furthermore, health behaviors and physical activity can be tracked; therefore, it is prudent to invest our resources in preventing adverse health from occurring in our young population. This has led to the suggestion that interventions to promote physical activity in children might be an appropriate, population-based approach to prevent obesity and related chronic diseases. This Special Issue will focus on highlighting physical activity interventions aimed at the prevention of obesity in children and adolescents. We are particularly interested in, for instance, interventions conducted in at-risk, low-income, or minority youth and adolescents.

Thank you for considering the Healthcare as a scholarly outlet for disseminating your academic work.

Dr. Louise A. Kelly
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical activity
  • sedentary behavior
  • obesity
  • overweight
  • socio economic status
  • accelerometry
  • fundamental movement skills
  • at-risk youth
  • minority youth

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 244 KB  
Article
The Weight of Emotions: Childhood Obesity and Psychosocial Well-Being in Saudi Arabia
by Rabab Majzoub, Khalid Al Noaim, Abdulrahman Alnaim, Muneera Alabdulqader, Zainab Al Alawi, Sayed Ali, Abdulrazag Ibnshamsah, Abdulaziz Alanazi, Aljawhara Al Omair, Ahad Alaklabi, Kholud Alqhtani and Maha Alaklabi
Healthcare 2025, 13(17), 2152; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172152 - 29 Aug 2025
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern globally, with significant physical and psychological implications. While numerous studies have linked obesity to poor mental health outcomes, cultural differences may influence this relationship. This study examines the association between childhood obesity and psychological [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern globally, with significant physical and psychological implications. While numerous studies have linked obesity to poor mental health outcomes, cultural differences may influence this relationship. This study examines the association between childhood obesity and psychological well-being among Saudi children aged 8–12 years. Methods: A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted in Al-Hofuf, Saudi Arabia. A total of 128 children were recruited, divided into a high-body-weight group (n = 64) and a healthy-weight group (n = 64). Psychological well-being was assessed using the Psychological Well-being Scale for Children (PWSC) and the Stirling Children’s Well-being Scale (SCWS). Anthropometric measurements were recorded, and parental body mass index (kg/m2) data were included. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 2023, employing chi-square tests and t-tests. Results: No statistically significant differences were found between the children’s body mass index (kg/m2) groups across most psychological well-being dimensions. However, a significant association was observed between maternal body mass index (kg/m2) and children’s PWSC scores (χ2 = 6.217, p = 0.045), suggesting a potential influence of parental weight on child well-being. Additionally, a significant sex difference in SCWS scores was noted, with males displaying higher well-being levels than females (χ2 = 7.798, p = 0.041). Family income and school grade showed no significant associations with psychological well-being. Conclusions: Contrary to findings from Western studies, childhood obesity did not significantly impact psychological well-being in this Saudi sample. Cultural factors, parental influence, and age-related differences may contribute to these results. Further longitudinal and qualitative research is needed to explore these associations in greater depth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventions for Preventing Obesity in Children and Adolescents)
14 pages, 466 KB  
Article
Step by Step: Investigating Children’s Physical Activity and Enjoyment in Outdoor Walking with Their Parents
by Patrick M. Filanowski, Jeremy A. Steeves and Emily Slade
Healthcare 2025, 13(14), 1721; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13141721 - 17 Jul 2025
Viewed by 339
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Although public health organizations encourage family walking, no studies have examined children’s physical activity and enjoyment during outdoor parent–child walks. This study addresses those gaps by examining children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and enjoyment during outdoor walks with their parents, along [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Although public health organizations encourage family walking, no studies have examined children’s physical activity and enjoyment during outdoor parent–child walks. This study addresses those gaps by examining children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and enjoyment during outdoor walks with their parents, along with parental barriers and their relationship with parent’s self-efficacy and co-activity minutes. Methods: Fifty parent–child dyads (children aged 6–12 years) completed 10 min, self-paced outdoor walks while wearing waist-worn ActiGraph monitors. Parents reported perceived barriers to walking outdoors with their child and self-efficacy for supporting their child’s daily physical activity. Results: Children reported high enjoyment (mean = 5.1 on a six-point scale) and attained high physical activity intensity (71.3% of time in MVPA, 22.0% in vigorous activity, mean step count = 1200). Parents reported an average of 2.6 barriers (SD = 1.0) to walking outdoors with their child, with poor weather (70%) and lack of time (70%) reported most frequently. Each additional barrier was associated with a 1.3-point reduction in parents’ self-efficacy (p = 0.007). Two barriers (‘diverse interests between parent and child’ and ‘other parent-suggested barriers’) were significantly associated with fewer co-activity minutes per week (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study highlights the benefits of parent–child outdoor walking for promoting MVPA and enjoyment in children. Because perceived barriers may lower parents’ self-efficacy in supporting their child’s physical activity, addressing these barriers may be essential for the success of family-based interventions that encourage walking together outdoors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventions for Preventing Obesity in Children and Adolescents)
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15 pages, 325 KB  
Article
Association of Overweight and Obesity with Impaired Executive Functioning in Mexican Adolescents: The Importance of Inhibitory Control
by Yatzeny Guadalupe Ruiz-Molina, Josué Herrera-Ávila, Josué Vidal Espinosa-Juárez, Héctor Armando Esquinca-Avilés, Juan Gabriel Tejas-Juárez, Elena Flores-Guillén, Luis Alberto Morales-Martínez, Alfredo Briones-Aranda, Betsabé Jiménez-Ceballos, José Alfredo Sierra-Ramírez and Refugio Cruz-Trujillo
Healthcare 2024, 12(14), 1368; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12141368 - 9 Jul 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1887
Abstract
Overweight and obesity are major public health issues worldwide, including in Mexico, particularly among adolescents. This study aimed to analyze the associations between nutritional status and impaired executive function (EF) in Mexican adolescents. A case–control study was conducted with 98 male and female [...] Read more.
Overweight and obesity are major public health issues worldwide, including in Mexico, particularly among adolescents. This study aimed to analyze the associations between nutritional status and impaired executive function (EF) in Mexican adolescents. A case–control study was conducted with 98 male and female adolescents, categorized into normal weight and overweight/obese groups based on body mass index. EF was assessed using the BANFE-2 test. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 54.3%. The EF assessment revealed that 82.45% of the overweight/obese group exhibited mild-to-severe impairment, compared to only 36.58% in the normal weight group (X2 = 21.69, p < 0.0001). In the inhibitory control assessment, adolescents with overweight and obesity performed worse than their normal-weight counterparts. Specifically, females with overweight/obesity scored lower than females with normal weight on the risk–benefit processing test. The risk of severe EF impairment significantly increased with the presence of overweight/obesity (OR = 7.8, p < 0.0001). These findings indicate that EF, particularly inhibitory control and risk–benefit processing, is impaired in adolescents with overweight or obesity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventions for Preventing Obesity in Children and Adolescents)
14 pages, 591 KB  
Article
Risk Factors for Overweight and Obesity in Later School-Aged Children: Focus on Lifestyle Behaviours and Psychosocial Characteristics
by Yong-Sook Eo and Myo-Sung Kim
Healthcare 2024, 12(9), 912; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12090912 - 27 Apr 2024
Viewed by 2194
Abstract
The study analysed the 12th wave (2019) of data from the Panel Study on Korean Children conducted by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. A total of 1174 children were selected as the subjects of the study. The results concerning the [...] Read more.
The study analysed the 12th wave (2019) of data from the Panel Study on Korean Children conducted by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. A total of 1174 children were selected as the subjects of the study. The results concerning the identifying factors influencing overweight and obesity in later school-aged children revealed that when compared to boys, girls were 1.66 times more likely to be overweight or obese. Moreover, for every one-hour increase in media usage time, the likelihood of being overweight or obese increased by 1.23 times, and for every one-point increase in body dissatisfaction, the probability of being overweight or obese increased by 2.07 times. However, among personality traits, neuroticism was associated with a 0.96 times lower likelihood of being overweight or obese. These findings underscore the significance of considering not only lifestyle factors but also psychosocial characteristics such as body dissatisfaction and neuroticism as predictive factors for overweight and obesity in later school-aged children, providing a basis for intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventions for Preventing Obesity in Children and Adolescents)
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