Should the IDEFICS outcomes have been expected?

The Identification and prevention of Dietary‐ and lifestyle‐induced health EFfects In Children and infantS (IDEFICS) study evaluated with a large sample a comprehensive carefully planned obesity prevention intervention targeting multiple levels of influence that were culturally adapted to the situat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Obesity reviews 2015-12, Vol.16 (S2), p.162-172
Main Authors: Baranowski, T, Lytle, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adiposity
behavior change
children
community programs
cross-sectional studies
Europe
Evidence-Based Practice
Health Education - standards
Humans
infants
mediating variables
obesity
Obesity prevention
Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
Patient Compliance - psychology
Patient Compliance - statistics & numerical data
Pediatric Obesity - prevention & control
Pediatric Obesity - psychology
Primary Prevention - standards
Program Evaluation
Risk Factors
Risk Reduction Behavior
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Summary:The Identification and prevention of Dietary‐ and lifestyle‐induced health EFfects In Children and infantS (IDEFICS) study evaluated with a large sample a comprehensive carefully planned obesity prevention intervention targeting multiple levels of influence that were culturally adapted to the situations in eight European countries. Despite the great effort and attention to detail, the IDEFICS study did not achieve its targeted adiposity or behaviour change objectives. Should we be surprised that the IDEFICS trial did not have its intended effects? We think not, and would have been surprised if it did. Recent research has revealed the lack of consistent meaningful relationships between several apparently obesogenic behaviours and adiposity, weak or no relationships among behavioural change procedures, mediating variables and targeted behaviours and inadequate attention to moderating effects. Future obesity prevention interventions would benefit from a more thorough understanding of the complex relationships that have been hypothesized and the interrelationships with biological factors. While systems modelling has been proposed as providing the solution, important less complex identification of new constructs, new relationships and community interventions are still needed, both to find innovative solutions and to provide input into the systems models. We should question results from cross‐sectional studies and be satisfied only with longitudinal or experimental tests of relationships.
ISSN:1467-7881
1467-789X
DOI:10.1111/obr.12359