COIOS
Healthcare today Item confirms peer-reviewed

School programmes in Spain cut childhood obesity by four percentage points

A meta-analysis of seven Spanish school-based programmes covering 6,716 schoolchildren found obesity prevalence 4.00 percentage points lower after them (95% CI -6.44 to -1.55) from a baseline of 10.3%, with substantial variation between studies.

The review pooled seven studies of school-based interventions in Spain published between 2010 and 2025, together covering 6,716 schoolchildren, all combining nutrition education with physical activity promotion and some with family involvement. Estimated baseline obesity prevalence was 10.3% and pooled prevalence afterwards was 4.00 percentage points lower (95% CI -6.44 to -1.55). Heterogeneity was substantial, and meta-regression linked the size of the effect to the children's age and the length of follow-up.

Why it is interesting: A pooled figure for what school programmes have achieved against childhood obesity in one country, on a thin and variable evidence base.

Source
Atención Primaria, 22 September 2026
DOI
10.1016/j.aprim.2026.103609
Type
Peer-reviewed article
Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis of seven Spanish school-based intervention studies, 6,716 schoolchildren, 2010-2025
Verdict
Confirms prior evidence
Driver
Obesity, diabetes and GLP-1
Driver
Diet, exercise and sleep