Effectiveness of mother and daughter interventions targeting physical activity, fitness, nutrition and adiposity: A systematic review

Background: Physical inactivity and poor dietary habits in women pose a clear public health burden. Mothers are generally the main female role model for daughters, therefore, targeting intergenerational females simultaneously may be a novel approach. However, the effectiveness of this approach to improve physical activity, fitness, nutrition and adiposity has not been systematically examined. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of physical activity, fitness and nutrition interventions targeting mothers and their daughters. Data sources: PubMed, Psychinfo, EMBASE, Ovid Medline, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Sportdiscus and Informit were searched for English language studies (1980–2015). Study selection: Randomized controlled trials (RCTS), non-randomized experimental trials and pre-post studies of physical activity, fitness, nutrition and adiposity interventions targeting mothers and daughters were eligible if they reported changes in physical activity, fitness, dietary intake or adiposity. Data extraction: Data were extracted using a standardized template and checked by a second author. Data synthesis: 3577 articles were screened and 14 unique studies (7 RCTs, 1 pseudo-randomized, 1 non-randomized, 5 pre-post) met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were conducted in the US (n = 11) and most were limited by methodological concerns. Of the RCTs that targeted each outcome exclusively, ≤ 20%, ≤ 20% ≤ 21% and 0% were successful for improving physical activity, fitness, nutrition and adiposity respectively. Conclusions: Overall, evidence for the effectiveness of mother-daughter interventions to improve physical activity, fitness, nutrition and adiposity is inconclusive. The diversity of study designs, exposures and outcomes used, along with methodological weaknesses means that well-designed and reported RCTs are warranted.