Table 2.

Characteristics of the Interventions

Study	Intervention Type	Participants	Intervention	Control	Duration (weeks)	Follow-up Measurementa	Effects on BMI
Dennison et al., 2004	SB	N=222 Age range: 2.5–5.5 Mean age (year): 4 Sex: 49% male Race: mostly white General population	School and home-based. No behavior change theories specified; intervention aimed to show preschool staff and parents the positive alternative activities to TV viewing, such as improved literacy skills and enhanced social skills. Children attended a 7-session program to be educated to reduce TV-viewing time. After each class, materials and activities were sent home to foster discussion between parents and children.	No treatment	39	None	No significant difference in BMI raw score and BMI z-score change between intervention and control groups.
Robinson et al., 1999	SB	N=198 Age range: 8–10 Mean age (year): 9.9 Sex: 53% male Race: mostly white General population	School and home-based. Based on social cognitive theory, children were educated to budget TV watching time (self-monitoring and self-reporting strategies), newsletters were sent to parents to help children stay within budget. Each household also received an electronic television time manager to help with budgeting.	No treatment	25	None	Children in the intervention group had a significant decrease in raw BMI as compared with the control group.
Todd et al., 2008	SB	N=22 Age range: 8–11 Mean age (year): 9.9 Sex: all male Race: mostly (>80%) white General population	Home-based. No behavior change theories specified; intervention aimed to enhance awareness of electronic media use and to set goals to minimize use. Children and parents attended family-centered interactive session designed to reduce TV-viewing time and increase awareness to minimize electronic media use. TV and computer-locking devices were installed to help monitoring and limiting children’s TV and computer use. Follow-up newsletters were sent to home.	No treatment	20	None	No significant change in BMI raw score between intervention and control groups.
Epstein et al., 2008	SB	N=70 Age range: 4–7 Mean age (year): 6 Sex: 53% male Race: mostly white Children BMI at or above 75th BMI percentile	Home-based. No behavior change theories specified; a reward system was set up based on children’s TV-viewing time. TV allowance was set up to budget children’s TV-viewing time. Children earned $0.25 for each half hour under budget, up to $2.00 per week. Parents praised children for reduced TV-viewing time and for engaging in alternative behaviors. Monthly newsletters were sent to parents with information about how to rearrange home environment.	No treatment	104	None	Children in the intervention group had a significant decrease in BMI z-score as compared with the control group.
Mhurchu et al, 2009	SB	N=29 Age range: 9–12 Mean age: 10.4 Sex: 62% male Race: 65% European Obese population	Home-based. No behavior change theories specified; TV time monitor was provided to limit children’s access to TV. Parents had the control of the time budget, and were encouraged to restrict TV watching to 1 hour per day or less for their children.	Only receive verbal advice on general strategies to decrease TV watching; no TV time monitor was provided	6	None	No significant difference in BMI raw score and BMI z-score change between intervention and control groups.
Reilly et al., 2006	SB+PA	N=545 Age range: 4–5 Mean age (year): 4.2 Sex: 50% male Race: mostly white General population	School and home based. No behavior change theories specified; intervention components included enhanced physical activity program in nursery (three 30-min sessions a week over 24 weeks) plus home-based health education aimed at increasing physical activity through play and reducing TV viewing time.	No treatment	24	Week 28	No significant difference in BMI raw score change between intervention and control groups.
Maloney et al., 2008	SB+PA	N=60 Age range: 7–8 Mean age (year): 7.5 Sex: 50% male Race: mostly white General population	Home-based. No behavior change theories specified; written physician prescription was given to children to play 120 minutes per week of Dance Dance Revolution and daily minutes of Dance Dance Revolution play was recorded, supervised by parents.	No treatment	10	Week 18	Children in the intervention group had a significant decrease in BMI raw score as compared with the control group.
Graves et al., 2010	SB+PA	N=58, Age range: 8–10 Mean age: 9.2 Sex: 67% male Race: mostly white General population	Home-based. No behavior change theories specified; a peripheral device (jOG), a step-powered video game, was given to children to encourage light-to-moderate intensity activity and reduce sedentary time.	No treatment	12	None	No significant difference in BMI raw score change between control and intervention groups.
Goran et al., 2005	SB+PA	N=209 Age range: 8.8–11.1 Mean age (year): 9.4 Sex: 40% male Race: mostly Hispanic General population	School-based. Based on social cognitive theory, eight CD-ROM interactive animated lessons, four classroom lessons, and four family-based assignments were delivered over 8 weeks. Each lesson incorporated elements of social cognitive theory including outcome expectancies, behavioral capability and modeling, goal setting, self-monitoring, reinforcement, self-efficacy, and environmental aspects aiming to increase levels of physical activity, decrease sedentary behavior, and alter psychosocial variables related to physical activity.	No treatment	8	None	No significant difference in BMI raw score and BMI z-score change between intervention and control groups. Female students in the intervention group had a significantly larger decrease in BMI z-score as compared with the control group.
Harrison et al., 2006	SB+PA	N=312 Age range: 9–11 Mean age (year): 10.2 Sex: 57% male Race: mostly white General population	School-based. Based on social cognitive theory, the 10-lesson, teacher-led intervention emphasized on self-control, self-monitoring, and goal setting skills.	No treatment	16	None	No significant difference in BMI raw score change between control and intervention groups.
Simon et al., 2008	SB+PA	N=954 Age range: 9.9–13.8 Mean age (year): 11.6 Sex: 46.7% male Race: mostly white General population	School-based. A multilevel program aimed to affect the intrapersonal, social and certain environmental determinants of physical activity with three principal targets: (1) knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and motivation towards physical activity; (2) social support; and (3) environmental conditions. The intervention included an educational components focusing on physical activity and sedentary behavior and opportunities for physical activity were provided at lunchtime and after school hours.	No treatment	208	None	Children in the intervention group had a significant smaller increase in BMI z-score as compared with the control group.
Spruijt-Metz et al., 2008	SB+PA	N=459 Age range: 12–13 Mean age (year): 12.5 Sex: all female Race: mostly Hispanic General population	School-based. Based on the self determination theory and the theory of meanings of behavior, the intervention aimed to increase positive meanings and promote intrinsic motivation for physical activity. Students received information about media-based physical activity and TV-viewing and other sedentary behaviors classroom education and participated in learning activities that supported engagement in physical activity and TV-viewing time.	No treatment	1	Week 13	No significant difference of BMI z-score change between intervention and control groups.
Faith et al., 2001	SB+PA	N=10 Age range: 8–12 Mean age (year): 10 Sex: 70% male Race: no info Obese population	Home-based. Intervention was based on the behavioral theory of reinforcement. Children pedaled on the electronically braked cycle ergometer to activate power of TV.	No treatment	10	None	Children in the intervention group had a decrease in raw BMI whereas children in the control group had an increase in raw BMI.
Goldfield et al., 2006	SB+PA	N=30 Age range: 8–12 Mean age (year): 10.5 Sex: 43% male Race: mostly white Overweight and obese population	Home-based. Intervention was based on the behavioral theory of reinforcement, with an open-loop feedback system. Children accumulated 400 counts of physical activity on pedometers earned 1 hour of TV/VCR/DVD time. Parents reviewed the physical activity amount and implemented the contingencies (the open-loop feedback feature).	No treatment	8	None	Children in the intervention group had a significant decrease in BMI raw score as compared with the control group.
Maddison et al., 2011	SB+PA	N=322, Age range: 10–14 Mean age (year): 11.6 Sex: 73% male; Race: 57% European Overweight or obese population	Home-based. No behavior change theories specified; active video games were given to children to encourage them to increase physical activity and decrease screening time.	No treatment	24	None	Children in the control group had a significant increase in BMI z-score as compared with the intervention group.
Gentile et al., 2009	SB+PA+diet	N=1323; Age range: 6.1–12.7 Mean age (year): 9.6 Sex: 47% Race: 90% white General population	School and home-based. Based on the social ecological framework, the intervention targeted families as the primary leverage point, and school-based reinforcement and incentives as well as community support as the secondary leverage points. Children were encouraged to adapt to healthy lifestyle by using self-rewards, school education, family-planned meals, and creating short-term and long-term goals of healthy active lifestyle.	No treatment	30	Week 26	No significant difference in BMI raw score change between intervention and control groups.
Fitzgibbon et al., 2012	SB+PA+diet	N=128; Age range: 3–5 Mean age (year): 4.5 Sex: 50% male Race: Hispanic General population	School and home-based. Based on social cognitive theory, and relevant components of the health belief model and self-determination theory were also incorporated. Intervention curriculum included nutrition instruction and physical activity session, both supplemented by a Spanish language CD. Child component targeted specific child behaviors to increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fiber; decrease fat intake; reduce television viewing; and increase the duration and level of daily physical activity.	Weekly general health education	14	Week 52	Both the intervention and control groups decreased BMI raw score and BMI z-score. No significant difference in BMI raw score and BMI z-score change between intervention and control groups.
Lubans et al., 2012	SB+PA+diet	N=357, Age range: 12–14 Mean age (year): 13.2 Sex: all female Race: mostly Australian General population	School and home-based. Based on social cognitive theory, the intervention targeted psychological, behavioral, and environmental influences on physical activity and nutrition behavior change, and focused on promoting lifetime physical activities, reducing sedentary behaviors, and encouraging low-cost healthy eating. Intervention components included enhanced school sport sessions, interactive seminars, nutrition workshops, lunch-time physical activity sessions, handbooks and pedometers, parent newsletters, and text messaging for social support.	No treatment	52	None	No significant difference in BMI raw score and BMI z-score change between intervention and control groups.
Singh et al., 2009	SB+PA+diet	N=1108 Age range: 12–14 Mean age (year): 12.7 Sex: 49.5% male Race: mostly Western/Dutch General population	School-based. Using an intervention mapping approach, intervention selected multiple theoretical strategies for behavioral change, including self monitoring, self-evaluation, reward, increasing skills, goal setting, environmental changes, social encouragement, social support, information regarding behavior and personalized messages. The intervention consisted of an educational program (individual component), and an environmental component (i.e., changes in and around school cafeterias).	No treatment	35	Week 17 and week 52	No significant difference of BMI raw score change between intervention and control groups.
French et al., 2011	SB+PA+diet	N=90 Age range: 12–17 Mean age (year): 14.7 Sex: 61% male Race: 58% white General population	Home-based. Based on the social ecology framework, the intervention included both household environment and individual-level behavioral components such as placement of TV time-limiting devices, provision of guidelines about food availability, face-to-face group sessions, and monthly newsletters.	No treatment	52	None	No significant difference in BMI z-score change between intervention and control groups.
Taveras et al., 2011	SB+PA+diet	N=475, Age range: 2–6.9 Mean age (years): 4.9 Sex: 52% male; Race: no info; Overweight population	Clinic-based. Based on the chronic care model, the major components of the intervention involved changes to the health care system. Intervention includes primary care restructuring, and families received motivational interviewing by pediatric nurse practitioners regarding TV viewing and fast food and sugar intake.	Usual care which included well-child care visits and follow-up appointments for weight checks with their pediatrician or subspecialist	52	None	No significant difference in raw BMI score and BMI z-score change between intervention and control groups.
McCallum et al., 2007	SB+PA+diet	N=163 Age range: 5–9 Mean age (year): 7.4 Sex: 48% male Race: no info Obese population	Clinic-based. Using an intervention mapping approach, modifiable behavioral determinants of obesity were identified. General practitioners used a brief solution-focused approach to set and record appropriate, healthy lifestyle goals with the family, assisted by a personalized 20-page family folder, which aimed to help improve children’s physical activity, TV viewing and other sedentary behaviors and diet.	No treatment	12	Week 39 and week 65	No significant difference in BMI raw score change between intervention and control groups.
Hughes et al., 2008	SB+PA+diet	N=134 Age range: 5–11 Mean age (year): 8.7 Sex: 44% male Race: no info Overweight population	Clinic-based. A best-practice, family-centered, behavior change counseling delivered by pediatric dietitians. Used multiple behavioral strategies including exploring motivation to change, exploring pros and cons of change, identifying barriers to change, problem-solving barriers, goal-setting, rewards, self-monitoring, social support, and preventing relapse to modify diet, physical activity, TV viewing and other sedentary behaviors.	No treatment	26	Week 25 and week 52	No significant difference of BMI z-score change between intervention and control groups from baseline to 6 and 12 months.
Wafa et al., 2011	SB+PA+diet	N=107 Age range: 7–11 Mean age (year): 9.8 Sex: 50% male; Race: no info; Obese population	Clinic-based. A parent-centered, dietician-led program based on trans-theoretical model and social cognitive theory. The program included 8 group sessions focused on changing diet, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Parents also received treatment materials.	No treatment	24	None	No significant difference in BMI z-score change between intervention and control groups.
Saelens et al., 2002	SB+PA+diet	N=44 Age range: 12–16 Mean age (year): 14.2 Sex: 59.1% male Race: 70.5% white Overweight population	Clinic-based. No behavior change theories specified; intervention aimed to address behavioral skills including self-monitoring, goal setting, problem solving, stimulus control, self-reward, and preplanning. Children engaged in a computer-based program on physical activity, diet, and sedentary behavior education. Children also received weekly phone counseling. Parents received information sheets including recommended parental skills.	A single session of physician weight counseling	17	Week 23	Children in the intervention group had a slight decrease in BMI z-score as compared with the control group.

Note:

^aIndicates the follow-up measurement occurred at post-intervention, if any.