Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40632339›Full record

SynthesisEating and weight disorders : EWD2025

The role of motivation in weight reduction programs for children and adolescents with overweight or obesity: a systematic review.

Anne Herschbach, Annalena Wels, Pauline Dieckmann, Rebecca Erschens, Florian Junne, Stefan Ehehalt, Stephan Zipfel, Katrin Elisabeth Giel, Katrin Ziser

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Eating and weight disorders : EWD, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Anne HerschbachDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. anne.herschbach@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
Annalena WelsDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Pauline DieckmannDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Rebecca ErschensDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Florian JunneDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
Stefan EhehaltPublic Health Department of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
Stephan ZipfelDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Katrin Elisabeth GielDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Katrin ZiserDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeObesity and overweight in children and adolescents are a growing concern. Treatments should be multidisciplinary, address the whole family and contain aspects of motivation. Motivation is a well-known impact factor in medical treatment but its role in the treatment of pediatric obesity is not clear. This systematic review aims to analyze the role of motivation by summarizing theoretical frameworks and synthesizing effects of weight reduction programs that assessed motivation as either outcome or predictor.

methodsThis systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane) were searched, findings were screened by two authors and assessed according to pre-determined criteria. Risk of bias was assessed with the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies by the Effective Public Health Practice Project.

results1899 studies were found, whereof 32 were included. The most commonly used theoretical frameworks were the Transtheoretical Model and Self-Determination Theory. In 18 of the included studies, motivation was assessed as outcome. In most of them, motivation increased towards the end of the weight reduction program. 15 studies used motivation to predict different outcome variables, however, with no conclusive evidence on the predictive power of motivation on different outcomes.

conclusionMotivation can be enhanced over the course of a weight reduction program, mainly in pediatric patients. The predictive power of motivation on different outcomes is still not clear due to the heterogeneity of included studies. More research is needed to implement the current findings in future pediatric weight reduction programs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 1, systematic review.

Indexed as

MotivationOverweightPediatric ObesityWeight Reduction ProgramsAdolescentChildHumansWeight LossChildren and adolescentsMotivationObesityOverweightWeight reduction

Identifiers

PMID40632339
PMCPMC12241297

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.