Introduction: Childhood obesity is a public health concern and the MEND 7-13 program may be key in improving childhood obesity rates. The purpose of this integrative review is to provide insight into the MEND 7-13 program and explore its effectiveness in reducing BMI in children with obesity.
Research methodology: Using a comprehensive search strategy, the Chamberlain university, national library of medicine, wiley online, science direct, and BMC Public Health databases were used to identify 17 studies that implemented the MEND 7-13 program anywhere in the world, published between 2016-2021, and written in English. The data was extracted utilizing the Johns Hopkins evidence summary tool.
Results: About 1,024 articles were found and excluded if studies included children less than 7 and greater than 13, published more than five years ago, and were literature reviews.
Discussion: The literature analysis of the studies and results of the interpretive review shows that the MEND 7-13 program is effective in reducing BMI even when variations of the program were implemented. The studies revealed similar gaps, limitations, and opportunities for improvement of the MEND 7-13 program.
Conclusion: An integrative review has been conducted on childhood obesity family based weight management programs. An effort to consider the evidence synthesizes the investigations that have been completed and guides future nursing practice and studies.
Published Date: 2022-10-17; Received Date: 2022-05-26
