RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Evaluation of

a comprehensive intervention with a behavioural modification strategy for childhood obesity prevention: a nonrandomized cluster controlled trial Jing-jing Wang1,2, Wing-chung Patrick Lau2, Hai-jun Wang1 * and Jun Ma1* Background: With regard to the global childhood obesity epidemic, it is imperative that effective lifestyle interventions are devised to combat childhood obesity. This paper describes the development and implementation of a comprehensive (a combination of diet and physical activity (PA)), social cognitive behaviour modification intervention using accelerometry and a dietary diary to tackle child overweight and obesity. The comprehensive intervention effect was evaluated in a comparison with diet only, PA only and a no-treatment control group. Methods: A pilot study was conducted with a non-randomized cluster design. Four hundred thirty-eight overweight and obese children aged 7–12 years from ten primary schools in Beijing were recruited to receive a one-year intervention. Participants were allocated into one of four groups: the comprehensive intervention group; the PA only group (Happy 10 program); the diet only group (nutrition education program); and a control group