Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42625158›Full record

Trial reportBMC public health2026

Addressing insufficient physical activity in children with obesity in a 4-month physical activity on prescription intervention: a single-group pre-post study.

Jessica Törnqvist, Katarina Lauruschkus, Susanne Bernhardsson, Karin Melin, Li Karlsson, Daniel Arvidsson, Jonatan Fridolfsson, Christian Greven, Stefan Lundqvist

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04847271 (Implementation of Physical Activity on Prescription for Children With Obesity in Paediatric Health Care), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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.

NCT04847271 nacompletednot on this map

Implementation of Physical Activity on Prescription for Children With Obesity in Paediatric Health Care (IMPA): a Feasibility Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorVastra Gotaland RegionRan2022 to 2025Enrolled42ConditionsObesity, ChildhoodArmsPhysical activity on prescription (PAP)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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.

Jessica TörnqvistCentre for Physical Activity, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0009-0007-3775-7364
Katarina LauruschkusFaculty of Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-1801-8503
Susanne BernhardssonUnit of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-8212-7678
Karin MelinGillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-3297-7735
Li KarlssonCentre for Physical Activity, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0009-0000-7660-0828
Daniel ArvidssonCentre for Health and Performance, Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-3112-5434
Jonatan FridolfssonCenter for Lifestyle Intervention, Department of Molecular and Acute Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-7003-4025
Christian GrevenCentre for Health and Performance, Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0009-0009-4745-1582
Stefan LundqvistCentre for Physical Activity, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden. stefan.lundqvist@gu.se.ORCID 0000-0002-3467-8499

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChildhood obesity is a complex disease and a growing global public health challenge. Physical activity on prescription (PAP) is an evidence-based method to increase physical activity (PA) in adults but has been sparsely studied in children with obesity. The aim of the study was to explore changes in PA patterns in 6-12-year-old children with obesity after a 4-month PAP intervention and to explore age- and sex-related differences.

methodsThe cohort consisted of 42 children (20 boys), 6-12 years old, treated at paediatric or rehabilitation clinics in Gothenburg and surrounding municipalities, Sweden. An individualised PAP intervention was provided, comprising individual counselling, a written prescription with an individually tailored PA recommendation, and structured follow-up. Main activities performed by the children were ball sports, swimming and walking, the latter including daily walks to and from school. Physical activity was measured using accelerometers attached to the participants' hips for 7 days before and after the intervention. Changes pre- to post-intervention in PA patterns were analysed using Wilcoxon's signed rank test.

resultsOf the 42 included children, 35 completed the intervention (dropout rate 16.7%), of whom 32 provided valid accelerometer data. The sample was balanced by sex (16 girls/16 boys) and age (n = 16 in each subgroup). No significant changes were observed in PA patterns in the overall group or in subgroup analyses by sex and age. Overall satisfaction with the PAP treatment was high among both children and parents.

conclusionsAlthough no significant changes in PA patterns were observed post-intervention, children and parents expressed satisfaction with the PAP intervention. The lack of significant findings may partly be explained by the small sample size and limited statistical power, the extent and duration of the intervention, and the limited ability of accelerometers to capture certain types of activities. Further research is needed to explore the feasibility, adherence, and long-term effects of PAP interventions in children with obesity, with implications for broader public health efforts.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04847271, registered 14 April 2021.

Indexed as

ExerciseHealth PromotionPediatric ObesityAccelerometryChildFemaleHumansMaleSwedenAccelerometryPaediatric obesityPhysical activityPhysical Activity on PrescriptionSedentary behaviour

Identifiers

PMID42625158
PMCPMC13495397

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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.