Obesity Prevention and Control: Provider-Oriented Interventions, Multicomponent Provider Interventions

Multicomponent interventions are designed to increase knowledge and change attitudes and practices of healthcare providers in addressing overweight and obesity among clients. These interventions use more than one of the following strategies: education, feedback, reminders, or office systems and support mechanisms.

Interventions may be delivered by:

• Lecture or seminar
• Written materials
• Training workshops
• Electronic alerts
• Feedback reports
• Videos

Summary of Task Force Recommendations & Findings

The Community Preventive Services Task Force finds insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of multicomponent provider-oriented strategies to prevent and control obesity among child, adolescent, or adult clients based on the small number of studies reporting patient-level outcomes and small effects on provider behaviors.

Results from the Systematic Reviews

Interventions for providers with adult patients:

• Five studies qualified for the review.
• Various provider behavior outcomes were assessed, from discussions and advice to measurement of physiologic outcomes in patients (3 studies).
  • All studies reported positive changes in the behaviors assessed; two of the papers reported significant changes.
• Patient outcomes included weight and blood pressure (2 studies).
  • Weight was reduced in both studies (by 4.5 lbs and 2.5 lbs).
  • Blood pressure results were mixed, one study reported a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and the other study reported an increase in systolic blood pressure.

Interventions for providers with child and adolescent patients:

• One study qualified for the review.
• The one study that qualified for this review provided insufficient information to determine effectiveness.

Economic efficiency is not reviewed for interventions for which there is insufficient evidence to determine effectiveness.

These results were based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice and policy related to obesity prevention and control.

Publications

The findings and results of this systematic review have not been published. Read other Community Guide publications about Obesity Prevention and Control in our library. You may also subscribe to be notified as new materials on this topic become available.

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Sample Citation

The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services.  Obesity prevention and control: provider-oriented interventions, multicomponent provider interventions. www.thecommunityguide.org/obesity/Multicomponent.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.

Review completed: February 2008