Background: Currently, the effects of motivational interviewing (MI) on children's behavioral changes remain obscure.
Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of MI on children's lifestyle behavioral changes (fruits and vegetables [F/V], dairy, sugary beverages, calories, snacks, fat intake, moderate vigorous physical activity [MVPA], and screen time).
Methods: Six databases (CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Sciences) from 2005 to 2022 were searched. Thirty-one intervention studies with a comparison group met the criteria. Random-effects models were performed to estimate the pooled effects; exploratory moderation analyses with mixed-effects models were used to explore potential intervention moderators.
Results: The pooled effect size was 0.10 (p = .334) on ↑F/V, 0.02 (p = .724) on ↑dairy, -0.29 (p < .001) on ↓calories, -0.16 (p = .054) on ↓sugary beverages, -0.22 (p = .002) on ↓snacks, -0.20 (p = .044) on ↓fat, 0.22 (p = .001) on ↑MVPA, and -0.06 (p = .176) on ↓screen time. The effects of MIs were moderated by ↑MI sessions regarding ↓snacks (B = -0.04, p = .010). Multicomponent and clinical programs had greater effects on dairy intake than their counterparts (0.09 vs. -0.21, p = .034; 0.12 vs. -0.14, p = .027, respectively). Similarly, interventions with a fidelity check resulted in greater dairy intake than those without a check (0.29 vs. -0.15, p = .014). A few long-term follow-up assessments revealed effects on ↓F/V (-0.18; p = .143, k = 2), ↓dairy (-0.13, p = .399, k = 4), ↓MVPA (-0.04; p = .611, k = 6), and ↑screen time (0.12; p = .242, k = 4).
Conclusions: Our findings support the short-term effects of MI on improving children's lifestyle behaviors. Additional investigations are needed to better sustain children's long-term behavioral changes.
Keywords: Eating; Lifestyle modification; Physical activity; Snacks; Surgery beverages.
Although motivational interviewing (MI) techniques are often recommended and used by clinicians to promote healthy behaviors, their effects on children’s behavioral changes are not clear. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of MI on children’s lifestyle behavioral changes particularly in children’s intakes in fruits and vegetables, dairy, sugary drinks, calories, snacks, and high-fat diet, as well as children’s physical activity and screen time. A total of 957 articles from six databases were screened for eligibility. Among them, 31 eligible articles were retrieved for knowledge synthesis. This review found that MI techniques were effective in lowering children’s intakes in calories, sugary drinks, snacks, high-fat diets. In addition, MI techniques were also effective in promoting children’s moderate to vigorous physical activities. It seemed that more MI sessions were more likely to decrease children’s snacks intakes. Taken together, our findings support the short-term effects of MI on improving children’s lifestyle behaviors. Additional investigations are needed to better sustain children’s long-term behavioral changes.
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.