TITLE:
Factors Influencing Schoolchildren’s Obesity: A Qualitative Document Analysis of School-Based Obesity Interventions in Five Countries
AUTHORS:
Wafa Harbaji, Abukari Abdulai
KEYWORDS:
School Obesity Prevention, Influencing Factors, School Intervention, Educational Program, Child Obesity, Policy, Strategy
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.15 No.10,
October
14,
2025
ABSTRACT: Schoolchildren’s obesity problem witnessed a dramatic increase around the world. That led to an obese youth generation, threatening their health status and predicting a metabolic disease. This systematic review’s research primarily aims to understand how education can help control obesity among school students by conducting a comprehensive literature review of obesity management strategies used in schools over the past five years. The data resources are available through four database sites, including the Buid library, PubMed, UpToDate, and scholar sites. We included publications from the last five years, with one study from 2011. The searching system primarily links to the topics of children’s obesity, factors that influence it, the role of education, and methods of implementation. The search focused particularly on the interventions taken to prevent obesity in schoolchildren inside or outside the UAE. Limitation: there was difficulty in comparing those studies due to different study methods, strategies in data collection and assessment, and varying implementation processes and theories used to prevent obesity and overweight problems. Summary of findings: Factors that influence obesity are economic, psychological, parents’ behavior, eating behavior, and limited physical activity. Through implementing diverse educational theories such as guidance, cognitive, social, and behavioral theories, we can construct multi-skill strategies not only to spread awareness among children but also, in the future, to introduce a special curriculum concerning obesity orientation, prevention, and management.