ABSTRACT

Background: Obesity is a serious public health concern in Africa, with increasing prevalence and associated health risks contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. This systematic review aims to assess the impact of individual- and community-level interventions for obesity reduction in Africa.

Methods: This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023450307) and is reported according to the PRISMA statement. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across four databases, PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and African Journals Online, from January 2000 to December 2023. Three reviewers were involved in the search and article screening process.

Result: Our search identified a total of 20 eligible studies with a low risk of bias. Although a few of the interventions were designed with the potential to be community- and institution-wide, the approach was individualized. The interventions were multi-dimensional, with physical activity being the most (75.0%) adopted plan alone or in combination with other lifestyle modifications. We found that these programs/interventions had a significant impact on weight reduction and the adherence to these lifestyle changes

Conclusion: The multi-dimensional individualized obesity interventions accounted for a reduction in weight and lifestyle changes. There is a need to explore the long-term sustainability of these interventions, as well as to consider setting-based approaches to manage obesity.

Acknowledgement: This work is a collaborative effort of the Young African Nutrition Scholars Fellowship and the Obesity/NCDs work group of NDDI Africa