{
  "abstract": "Background: Childhood obesity is a major public health challenge worldwide, with increasing prevalence across Europe. Excess weight during childhood is strongly associated with obesity and non-communicable diseases in adulthood. Schools provide an important setting for promoting healthy behaviours through physical activity and nutrition programmes.\n\nMethods: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases. Studies published between 2010 and 2026 were included if they: (1) were conducted in school settings; (2) targeted children aged 6–18 years; (3) assessed outcomes related to body mass index (BMI), anthropometric measures, nutrition, or physical activity; (4) were conducted in Europe; and (5) had a minimum duration of one academic year.\n\nResults: Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria, covering nine European countries (England, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and Poland). Most interventions were implemented in primary schools (81.25%), with fewer in secondary schools (18.75%). The majority of studies were randomised controlled trials (75%). Intervention duration ranged from nine months to five years. Among studies assessing anthropometric outcomes, 78.6% reported positive effects, while 21.4% found no significant impact. Evidence on nutrition-related behaviours and physical activity was less consistent.\n\nConclusions: School-based interventions appear effective in improving anthropometric outcomes and may contribute to preventing childhood obesity. Long-term, multicomponent interventions that include parental involvement and address environmental factors are likely to be more effective. Socioeconomic and cultural contexts should be considered when designing future interventions.\n\nKey messages: • School-based interventions are effective in improving children’s BMI and can play a key role in preventing childhood obesity across Europe.\n\n• Long-term, multicomponent programmes involving families and environments are more effective than single interventions in promoting healthy behaviours.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "abstract",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "C Carneiro Gomes"
    },
    {
      "name": "C Triantafyllou"
    },
    {
      "name": "J Breda"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d6xytjpjb8xns.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1339",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13699246/",
  "id": "d6xytjpjb8xns",
  "issns": [
    "1101-1262",
    "1464-360X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1339",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "6. Poster Displays"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/MED00860"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC01210"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC02610"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "DH. Food, nutrition and diet"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2739|Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223693275",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13699246/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13699246",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d6xytjpjb8xns.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:53Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13699246",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1339"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:44Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13699246",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13699246"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2739|Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Are school-based programs effective in tackling childhood obesity in Europe? A systematic review",
  "title_text": "Are school-based programs effective in tackling childhood obesity in Europe? A systematic review",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:35:51Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d6xytjpjb8xns",
  "venue": "The European Journal of Public Health",
  "versions": []
}