Critical Appraisal of a Study on Parent-Focused Intervention to Reduce Infant Obesity Risk Behaviours

This article provides a critical appraisal of a study on a parent-focused intervention to reduce infant obesity risk behaviours. It examines the effectiveness of interventions focused on parents of infants in reducing the risk of obesity and unhealthy increase in BMI values. The study is a randomized trial that analyzes the response and effectiveness of different interventions.

Critical appraisal of the study “A parent-focused intervention to reduce infant obesity risk
behaviours: A randomized trial
Background of research:
Recent research has established that from early life, adipose deposition and activities such as
excessive eating, sedentary lifestyle, and lack of physical activity are factors that promote
obesity in early life [1]. Several high-end research studies have illustrated the interventions
necessary to curb obesity-promoting behaviour in early childhood [1]. The current adds to the
information available from existing research to highlight the reception of parents, especially the
first-timers, towards the interventions of such kind [1]. This study aims to create awareness of
obesity-promoting behaviour and enhance the receptivity of parents of children towards these
interventions during very early years of childhood of their children [1]. The interventions
suggested in this study are those that focus on the eating and playing habits of their new infant
[1]. The study additionally puts forth evidence regarding the effectiveness of certain behaviours
that promote obesity in early childhood [1].
The study observes that obesity is a global issue and is often left unaddressed [1]. In early
childhood, the prevalence of obesity is notably high in most countries worldwide [1]. Most often,
in extreme situations, medical interventions and pharmacological treatments are resorted to along
with utilizing surgery as a common means of combating obesity [1]. Since obesity is primarily a
result of unhealthy lifestyle, the current study focuses on interventions that address lifestyle
issues and aim to curb risky behaviours that lead to obesity in children [1]. In most cases,
interventions of awareness focusing on parents and increasing the receptivity of parents of
infants towards such interventions are often important means of increasing awareness and
promoting the anti-obesity drive [1]. The current study observes that recent studies have
established the effect of the body weight of individuals in early childhood has a direct
implication on the prevalence of adiposity in later life [1]. Additionally, it rightly reports that the
body weight of infants as much as five or six months old has an impact on the occurrence of
adiposity in their later lives [1].
This study rightly identifies a background for its research by making an analysis of collective
research data from previous studies of relevant backgrounds [1]. It displays the collection of
information from previous, reliable studies to provide evidence for the impact of obesity in early
childhood on the occurrence of adiposity in later life [1].
The primary aim of the current study is to make and assessment of the effectiveness of
interventions that are focused on parents of new-borns and infants to reduce the risk of obesity
and risky behaviours in children and curb unhealthy increase in BMI values [1]. The current
study is, in fact, a randomized trial that focuses on understanding the extent of effectiveness of
different interventions focused on parents of infants [1]. It possesses a control group and a

random sample group and statistically determines the response and effectiveness of the
interventions focusing on educating new parents about risky behaviours leading to excessively
high values of BMI and thus obesity in early childhood [1]. The current study successfully
establishes an initial hypothesis that parent-focused interventions on risky obesity-promoting
behaviours may indeed be a promising approach in this direction [1].
References:
1. Campbell K.J., Lioret S, McNaughton S.A., Crawford D.A., Salmon J, Ball K, McCallum Z,
Gerner B.E., Spence A.C., Cameron A.J., Hnatiuk J.A., Ukoumunne O.C., Gold L, Abbott G,
Hesketh K.D., 2013; “A parent-focused intervention to reduce infant obesity risk behaviours: a
randomized trial,” Pediatrics, 131(4): 652-660