Effectiveness of healthy eating interventions among children: A quantitative systematic review

Abstract Aims This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of healthy eating interventions among normal‐weight children. Design A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Data sources Seven databases were searched from the inception of each database until September 2019. Review Methods A systematic review of quantitative studies was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the PRISMA extension for reporting a synthesis without a meta‐analysis. Results Fifteen studies were included in this review. A meta‐analysis could not be conducted because of the observed heterogeneity across studies. There were mixed effects of the included interventions on healthy eating habits, ranging from effective to not effective. Only a few studies found behavioural determinants effective in enhancing healthy eating. Conclusion Because of the observed heterogeneity and varied outcome variables, a meta‐analysis could not be conducted, and the overall effectiveness of the included interventions could not be verified. Interventions that were theory based, parent focused, and delivered through the multimodal interactive approach were found to be effective in enhancing healthy eating habits among children. More studies involving peers that are institution based need to be conducted.