Physical Activity Interventions for Racial and Ethnic Minority Children: A Systematic Review

Pediatric obesity is a growing epidemic, and children of ethnic or racial minority background are at greatest risk. The purpose of this review is to identify disparities in PA levels among racial and ethnic minority children and identify successful interventions. We searched MEDLINE (PubMed) for the following mesh terms: population groups, obesity, child, infant, adolescent, exercise, or sports. Studies were included if written in English and reported on racial and ethnic families, physical activity (PA) parameters, and children <18 yr. Studies were excluded for lack of comparison with national recommendations or another racial group. Three main categories of studies (N = 24) were found: (a) assessment of PA levels by race/ethnicity, (b) analysis of PA interventions, and (c) parental influences on child PA. A variety of methods were used to measure the amount of PA. Studies using measured objective data for PA levels generally found no difference among races and ethnicities, whereas studies using self-reported PA levels suggested differences among them. The common strategies used in most successful interventions were tailoring activities to the specific target population, including family members, and making the activities enjoyable. Studies also indicated that parental behaviors were strongly associated with the behaviors of their children. The studies included in this systematic review suggest that children of racial and ethnic minority backgrounds may perform less PA than other populations and national recommendations. However, there are several different types of interventions and strategies that can increase PA in these children.