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Pensar Enfermagem / v.30 n.01 / Jan-Dec 2026 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30i1.465 / e00465

Madeira, Portugal; orcid.org/0009-0009-5182-9031

Serviços de Saúde, Porto, Portugal; orcid.org/0000-0003-1327-9533

* Corresponding author: catarinashg@yahoo.com

Abstract

Introduction

Childhood obesity is considered a serious public health problem because it affects millions of people worldwide

and is associated with several chronic diseases. Interventions involving families have been shown to be more

effective than those focusing only on children. Nursing interventions for childhood obesity prevention are

essential for promoting professional empowerment and improving care.

To map and synthesize nursing interventions for childhood obesity prevention.

Eighteen studies were included, highlighting the importance of the family in childhood obesity prevention and

the role of nursing interventions in facilitating the management of this condition. Four categories were

identified: educational interventions targeting children and families; parent and family skills-building

interventions; interventions promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles; and school- and

community-based interventions.

Childhood obesity is a complex condition with a global impact, and its prevention requires family-centered

interventions. The studies analyzed show that the family is essential in shaping healthy habits and that family

Introduction

Childhood obesity is one of the major public health challenges today because of its high prevalence and

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Pensar Enfermagem / v.30 n.01 / Jan-Dec 2026 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30i1.465 / e00465

children and adolescents with overweight has increased steadily worldwide, contributing to increased morbidity

overweight during childhood substantially increases the likelihood of obesity in adulthood, reinforcing the

susceptibility to obesity may be influenced by genetic factors and family dynamics, reflecting the multifactorial

and their systems-oriented approach enable early identification of risk factors and the implementation of actions

tailored to family dynamics and the contexts in which families live.

Studies show that approaches involving parents and the family as a system are more effective than those

However, nurses face significant challenges, including a lack of resources, family resistance, and the need for

The literature indicates that primary prevention, when implemented in the family setting, is critical to the

success of childhood obesity prevention strategies. However, nursing interventions addressing this issue have

not been systematically synthesized, limiting the sharing of best practices and the development of

Childhood obesity prevention is a complex and multidimensional area of practice involving different domains

nurses can be better integrated into childhood obesity prevention strategies. Although a body of evidence

highlights the importance of parental influence and the family context in childhood obesity, many aspects

Although growing recognition of the role of nursing in childhood obesity prevention, evidence on interventions

developed by nurses remains scattered across different care settings and specialty areas. This dispersion makes

it difficult to identify the most commonly used strategies and their potential contributions to promoting child

and family health.

This review aimed to map and synthesize the existing scientific evidence on nursing interventions for childhood

obesity prevention, contributing to the consolidation of knowledge in this area and the development of

evidence-based clinical practices.

A search for scientific articles relevant to the topic was conducted in MEDLINE (via PubMed) and CINAHL

(via EBSCO). MeSH terms were used. This scoping review was conducted according to Joanna Briggs Institute

(JBI) methodological guidance to map and analyze the existing scientific evidence on nursing interventions for

childhood obesity prevention.

The protocol for this scoping review was previously registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF) under

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/JVKH2, thereby enhancing the transparency, traceability, and reproducibility of the

methodological process.

Nursing practice should be based on the best available scientific evidence, ensuring effective, safe care

responsive to the population’s needs. The systemic use of evidence strengthens the quality of clinical

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Pensar Enfermagem / v.30 n.01 / Jan-Dec 2026 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30i1.465 / e00465

scoping review constitutes a rigorous and appropriate methodological approach to consolidating knowledge of

nurses’ role in childhood obesity prevention.

The inclusion criteria were essential for guiding the search and ensuring the relevance of the selected studies,

were considered, explicitly including educational interventions (e.g., nutrition education, promotion of physical

activity), behavioral interventions (e.g., lifestyle modification, promotion of healthy routines), and community-

or family-based interventions (e.g., family-centered programs, home visits, parent skills-building), provided that

they were delivered or mediated by nurses.

With respect to the Context (C), studies conducted in PHC, community, school, or home settings were

included, provided that they involved nursing care with a focus on families and childhood obesity prevention.

Studies conducted exclusively in hospital settings without a preventive or family component were excluded.

Primary studies and reviews were included, consistent with the purpose of scoping reviews to comprehensively

map the existing evidence on a given phenomenon. The inclusion of both types of studies made it possible to

identify nursing interventions described in original studies and to synthesize knowledge previously consolidated

in systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and other literature reviews. It is recognized, however, that this

The 10-year time frame makes it possible to balance the breadth of the review with the relevance of the included

data while avoiding the incorporation of outdated evidence given developments in interventions and

health policies.

The restriction to Portuguese and English was justified by the reviewers’ language proficiency and the broad

representation of scientific literature in these languages, while acknowledging the potential language bias

associated with this choice.

identification of studies relevant to the review question. Controlled vocabulary terms (MeSH) and free-text

terms related to the Population, Concept, and Context of the review were used. The strategy was adapted to

each database searched.

The search was conducted in MEDLINE (via PubMed) and CINAHL (via EBSCO), selected because they are

major sources of scientific information in health, nursing, and public health. MEDLINE provides broad

coverage of the international biomedical literature, whereas CINAHL provides specialized literature in nursing

and the health professions. The use of these databases made it possible to identify relevant and complementary

evidence to address the review question, as shown in Table I. It is acknowledged, however, that the exclusion

of other databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, or Embase, may have limited the retrieval of some

potentially eligible studies.

appropriate to the specific features of each platform. In the third stage, the reference lists of the included studies

were checked to identify additional relevant articles not retrieved in the initial search.

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Pensar Enfermagem / v.30 n.01 / Jan-Dec 2026 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30i1.465 / e00465

All search results were exported to the EndNote 21 reference management software, which enabled reference

organization and automatic duplicate removal, thereby ensuring rigor and transparency in the study

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Pensar Enfermagem / v.30 n.01 / Jan-Dec 2026 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30i1.465 / e00465

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Pensar Enfermagem / v.30 n.01 / Jan-Dec 2026 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30i1.465 / e00465

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Pensar Enfermagem / v.30 n.01 / Jan-Dec 2026 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30i1.465 / e00465

Parent and family skills-building interventions

The second category identified refers to interventions focused on building the skills of parents and caregivers.

The studies analyzed show that nurses play an important role in strengthening parenting skills related to diet,

management of family routines, organization of mealtimes, reduction of sedentary behavior, and promotion of

These strategies included structured exercise programs, encouragement of regular participation in recreational

The results indicate that combining physical activity, nutrition education, and family follow-up produces greater

benefits than isolated interventions. Parental involvement was also found to increase children’s adherence to

School- and community-based interventions

School and community settings emerged as favorable environments for implementing childhood obesity

prevention programs. The studies analyzed describe interventions implemented in schools, community centers,

The interventions included educational sessions, nutritional status screening, periodic follow-up of children,

centered approaches, highlighting the strategic role of nurses in childhood obesity prevention across different

care settings.

The findings of this scoping review showed that nursing interventions for childhood obesity prevention favor

multicomponent, family-centered approaches that integrate health education, parent skills-building, promotion

of healthy eating habits, encouragement of physical activity, and ongoing follow-up. The analysis of the included

studies showed consensus on the central role of the family in the adoption and maintenance of health-

promoting behaviors, reinforcing that interventions targeting only the child provide more limited benefits than

among family members as a key factor in behavior change. In addition, Mahmood et al.21 showed that parents’

dietary habits and lifestyles directly influence children’s behaviors, suggesting that building caregivers’ skills is

essential to the effectiveness of interventions. Taken together, these studies support prioritizing childhood

obesity prevention strategies that target the family as the unit of care rather than interventions centered

exclusively on the child.

Educational interventions represented the nursing strategy most frequently described in the included studies.

However, comparison across the studies shows that providing information alone yields limited benefits when

not accompanied by behavioral support strategies and ongoing monitoring. The Cochrane review by Brown et

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Pensar Enfermagem / v.30 n.01 / Jan-Dec 2026 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30i1.465 / e00465

components, highlighting that nurses’ role extends beyond traditional education to include ongoing skills-

building, follow-up, and support for behavior change.

Despite convergence on the importance of family-based interventions, differences were observed in the

structure, duration, and intensity of the programs implemented. Some studies prioritized short-term

interventions centered on health education, whereas others developed longer-term programs integrating

individualized follow-up and ongoing assessment of family needs. This methodological heterogeneity makes

relationships and facilitates the identification of each family’s specific needs, allowing interventions to be

positioned to support families throughout child development, promoting early and sustained preventive

interventions. Thus, the findings of this review reinforce the specific contribution of nursing to childhood

obesity prevention, not only through health education but also through parent skills-building, growth

monitoring, and the promotion of family environments conducive to adopting healthy lifestyles.

The analysis of the studies also identified several factors that affect the implementation of nursing interventions.

Although there is consensus on the relevance of family-centered approaches, difficulties persist in relation to

families’ adherence to recommendations, low health literacy, socioeconomic constraints, and insufficient

psychosocial approaches to families and in managing factors that affect behavior change, while van den Eynde

setting, ongoing monitoring, and positive reinforcement were identified as complementary strategies rather

components and are tailored to the specific needs of children and their families. Thus, the findings of this

review reinforce that childhood obesity prevention requires personalized and sustained interventions rather

than standardized or exclusively informational approaches.

It is also important to consider that heterogeneity in study designs, population characteristics, and outcome

measures made direct comparisons across studies difficult. In addition to differences in intervention duration

and intensity, variability was observed in the description of nurses’ specific competencies, the instruments used

to assess outcomes, and follow-up periods, limiting the identification of the components responsible for the

interventions into PHC may facilitate the early identification of risk factors, monitoring of child growth, and

implementation of prevention strategies tailored to each family’s needs. At the same time, the findings support

the importance of investing in nurse training in areas such as motivational interviewing, family-centered

communication, and the promotion of health literacy, competencies essential for facilitating sustained behavior

Regarding future research, the findings highlight the need to conduct primary studies with greater

methodological rigor, using experimental or quasi-experimental designs and incorporating longer follow-up

periods and standardized outcome measures. It will also be important to describe nursing interventions in

greater detail, specifying their duration, intensity, components, and follow-up strategies, thereby making it

possible to identify which elements contribute most to childhood obesity prevention and facilitating the

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Pensar Enfermagem / v.30 n.01 / Jan-Dec 2026 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30i1.465 / e00465

healthy lifestyles, and ongoing follow-up. Comparison of the included studies shows consistent agreement on

the importance of these strategies, although challenges related to intervention heterogeneity and barriers to

implementation remain. These findings reinforce the need to strengthen evidence-based nursing programs

developed in close collaboration with families and coordinated across different care settings, contributing to

more effective and sustainable childhood obesity prevention.

nurses to provide ongoing interventions and monitor families’ progress over time.

This scoping review mapped the nursing interventions described in the literature for childhood obesity

prevention, showing that family-centered strategies are most frequently associated with positive outcomes. The

interventions identified include nutrition education programs, promotion of physical activity, parent

skills-building, ongoing family follow-up, and initiatives implemented in school and community settings.

The findings reinforce the importance of family involvement as a central element in the effectiveness of

Nurses’ role is particularly relevant in PHC and family health nursing, contexts that support a preventive,

ongoing approach centered on the needs of children and their families.

compare results and identify the most effective strategies. Accordingly, primary studies with greater

methodological rigor and more detailed descriptions of nursing interventions are recommended to strengthen

the available evidence and support evidence-based clinical decision-making.

In summary, this review reinforces nurses’ contribution to childhood obesity prevention, supporting the

development of family-centered interventions based on the best available evidence.

Study limitations

Some limitations inherent to this review should be acknowledged. First, the literature search was conducted

exclusively in MEDLINE and CINAHL and may therefore not have identified all the available evidence on the

topic. In addition, the inclusion of only studies published in Portuguese and English may have contributed to

studies, the components, duration, and intensity of the strategies, as well as the outcome measures, were not

described in sufficient detail, limiting comparative analysis and the possibility of replication across

It should also be noted that some of the included publications focused primarily on determinants of childhood

obesity, barriers to implementing care, or professionals’ perceptions, without describing specific nursing

interventions. Although these studies contributed to understanding the phenomenon, their inclusion may have

influenced the final synthesis of the results.

Lastly, because this is a scoping review, no critical appraisal of the methodological quality of the included studies

was performed, consistent with this methodology. Consequently, the findings should be interpreted as a

mapping of the available evidence rather than an assessment of the effectiveness of the interventions identified.