Can Information Enhanced with Nudges Mitigate the Rise of Childhood Obesity in the Global South?

References

1. ↵
   1. Aguilar Cordero,
   2. María José,
   3. Alberto Ortegón Piñero,
   4. Laura Baena García,
   5. Jessica Pamela Noack Segovia,
   6. María Cristina Levet Hernández, and
   7. Antonio Manuel Sánchez López

   . 2015. “Efecto Rebote de los programas de Intervención para Reducir el Sobrepeso y la Obesidad de Niños y Adolescentes; Revisión Sistemática” [“Rebound Effect of Intervention Programs to Reduce Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review.”] [In Spanish.] Nutricion Hospitalaria 32(6):2508–17.

   OpenUrlPubMed
2. ↵
   1. Almond, Douglas,
   2. Ajin Lee, and
   3. Amy Ellen Schwartz

   . 2016. “Impacts of Classifying Students as Overweight.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113(13):3488–91.

   OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
3. ↵
   American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2020. “Screen Time and Children.” https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV-054.aspx (accessed January 22, 2025).
4. ↵
   1. Anderson, Michael L.

   2008. “Multiple Inference and Gender Differences in the Effects of Early Intervention: A Reevaluation of the Abecedarian, Perry Preschool, and Early Training Projects.” Journal of the American Statistical Association 103(484):1481–95.

   OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science
5. 1. Anderson, Patricia M.,
   2. Kristin F. Butcher, and
   3. Philip B. Levine

   . 2003. “Economic Perspectives on Childhood Obesity.” Economic Perspectives 27(3):30–48.

   OpenUrl
6. ↵
   1. Angelucci, Manuela,
   2. Silvia Prina,
   3. Heather Royer, and
   4. Anya Samek

   . 2019. “Incentives and Unintended Consequences: Spillover Effects in Food Choice.” American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 11(4):66–95.

   OpenUrl
7. ↵
   1. Ash, Tayla,
   2. Alen Agaronov,
   3. Ta’Loria Young,
   4. Alyssa Aftosmes-Tobio, and
   5. Kirsten K. Davison

   . 2017. “Family-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Interventions: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Content Analysis.” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 14(113):1–12.

   OpenUrl
8. ↵
   1. Belot, Michèle,
   2. Jonathan James, and
   3. Patrick Nolen

   . 2016. “Incentives and Children’s Dietary Choices: A Field Experiment in Primary Schools.” Journal of Health Economics 50:213–29.

   OpenUrlPubMed
9. ↵
   1. Benjamini, Yoav, and
   2. Yosef Hochberg

   . 1995. “Controlling the False Discovery Rate: A Practical and Powerful Approach to Multiple Testing.” Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series B (Methodological) 57(1):289–300.

   OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
10. ↵
    1. Biener, Adam,
    2. John Cawley, and
    3. Chad Meyerhoefer

    . 2020. “The Medical Care Costs of Obesity and Severe Obesity in Youth: An Instrumental Variables Approach.” Health Economics 29(5):624–39.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
11. ↵
    1. Black, Nicole,
    2. Robert Hughes, and
    3. Andrew M. Jones

    . 2018. “The Health Care Costs of Childhood Obesity in Australia: An Instrumental Variables Approach.” Economics and Human Biology 31:1–13.

    OpenUrlPubMed
12. ↵
    1. Cawley, John

    2015. “An Economy of Scales: A Selective Review of Obesity’s Economic Causes, Consequences, and Solutions.” Journal of Health Economics 43:244–68.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
13. ↵
    1. Charness, Gary,
    2. Ramón Cobo-Reyes,
    3. Erik Eyster,
    4. Gabriel Katz,
    5. Ángela Sánchez, and
    6. Matthias Sutter

    . 2020. “Improving Healthy Eating in Children: Experimental Evidence.” IZA Working Paper 13999. Bonn, Germany: IZA.
14. ↵
    1. Cheng, Tsung-Mei.

    2014. “Vietnam’s Health Care System Emphasizes Prevention and Pursues Universal Coverage.” Health Affairs 33(11):2057–63.

    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
15. ↵
    1. Coupe, Nia,
    2. Sarah Peters,
    3. Sarah Rhodes, and
    4. Sarah Cotterill

    . 2019. “The Effect of Commitment-Making on Weight Loss and Behaviour Change in Adults with Obesity/Overweight: A Systematic Review.” BMC Public Health 19(816):1–16.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
16. ↵
    1. Das, Jishnu,
    2. Quy-Toan Do,
    3. Karen Shaines, and
    4. Sowmya Srikant

    . 2013. “U.S. and Them: The Geography of Academic Research.” Journal of Development Economics 105:112–30.

    OpenUrlCrossRef
17. ↵
    1. de Quidt, Jonathan,
    2. Johannes Haushofer, and
    3. Christopher Roth

    . 2018. “Measuring and Bounding Experimenter Demand.” American Economic Review 108(11):3266–302.

    OpenUrl
18. ↵
    1. Deurenberg, Paul,
    2. Jan A. Weststrate, and
    3. Jaap C. Seidell

    . 1991. “Body Mass Index as a Measure of Body Fatness: Age- and Sex-Specific Prediction Formulas.” British Journal of Nutrition 65:105–14.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
19. ↵
    1. Doherty, Edel,
    2. Michelle Queally,
    3. John Cullinan, and
    4. Paddy Gillespie

    . 2017. “The Impact of Childhood Overweight and Obesity on Healthcare Utilization.” Economics and Human Biology 27(Part A):84–92.

    OpenUrlPubMed
20. ↵
    1. Ebbeling, Cara B.,
    2. Dorota B. Pawlak, and
    3. David S. Ludwig

    . 2002. “Childhood Obesity: Public-Health Crisis, Common Sense Cure.” Lancet 360(9331):473–82.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
21. ↵
    1. Ehlert, Judith

    . 2019. “Obesity, Biopower, and Embodiment of Caring: Foodwork and Maternal Ambivalences in Ho Chi Minh City.” In Food Anxiety in Globalising Vietnam, ed. Judith Ehlert and Nora Katharina Faltmann, 105–36. Singapore: Palgrave MacMillan.
22. ↵
    1. Ells, Louisa J.,
    2. Karen Rees,
    3. Tamara Brown,
    4. Emma Mead,
    5. Lena Al-Khudairy,
    6. Liane Azevedo,
    7. Grant J. McGeechan,
    8. Louise Baur,
    9. Emma Loveman,
    10. Heather Clements,
    11. Pura Rayco-Solon,
    12. Nathalie Farpour-Lambert, and
    13. Alessandro Demaio

    . 2018. “Interventions for Treating Children and Adolescents with Overweight and Obesity: An Overview of Cochrane Reviews.” International Journal of Obesity 42(11):1823–33.

    OpenUrl
23. ↵
    1. Freedman, David S.,
    2. Jack Wang,
    3. John C. Thornton,
    4. Zuguo Mei,
    5. Aviva B. Sopher,
    6. Richard N. Jr.

    Pierson, William H. Dietz, and Mary Horlick. 2009. “Classification of Body Fatness by Body Mass Index-for-Age Categories Among Children.” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 163(9):805–11.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
24. ↵
    1. Fricke, Hans,
    2. Michael Lechner, and
    3. Andreas Steinmayr

    . 2018. “The Effects of Incentives to Exercise on Student Performance in College.” Economics of Education Review 66:14–39.

    OpenUrl
25. ↵
    1. Fryar, Cheryl D.,
    2. Qiuping Gu, and
    3. Cynthia L. Ogden

    . 2012. “Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States 2007–2010, National Center for Health Statistics.” Vital Health Statistics 11(252):1–48.

    OpenUrl
26. ↵
    1. Gupta, Nidhi,
    2. Kashish Goel,
    3. Priyali Shah, and
    4. Anoop Misra

    . 2012. “Childhood Obesity in Developing Countries: Epidemiology, Determinants, and Prevention.” Endocrine Reviews 33(1):48–70.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
27. 1. Heckman, James,
    2. Rodrigo Pinto, and
    3. Peter Savelyev

    . 2013. “Understanding the Mechanisms through which an Influential Early Childhood Program Boosted Adult Outcomes.” American Economic Review 103(6):2052–86.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
28. ↵
    1. Hernández-Reyes, Alberto,
    2. Fernando Cámara-Martos,
    3. Guillermo Molina Recio,
    4. Rafael Molina-Luque,
    5. Manuel Romero-Saldaña, and
    6. Rafael Moreno Rojas

    . 2020. “Push Notifications from a Mobile App to Improve the Body Composition of Overweight or Obese Women: Randomized Controlled Trial.” JMIR mHealth and uHealth 8(2):e13747.

    OpenUrl
29. ↵
    1. Hirvonen, Kalle.

    2020. “This is US: Geography of Evidence in Top Health Economics Journals.” Health Economics 29(10):1316–23.

    OpenUrlPubMed
30. ↵
    1. Hoffman, Daniel J.

    2001. “Obesity in Developing Countries: Causes and Implications.” Food Nutrition and Agriculture 28:35–44.

    OpenUrl
31. ↵
    International Labour Organization. 2019. “Vietnam Labor Force Survey 2019.” Geneva: ILO.
32. ↵
    1. Johns, David J.,
    2. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce,
    3. Susan A. Jebb,
    4. Paul Aveyard, and
    5. Behavioural Weight Management Review Group.

    2014. “Diet or Exercise Interventions vs Combined Behavioral Weight Management Programs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Direct Comparisons.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 114(10):1557–68.

    OpenUrl
33. ↵
    1. Just, David R., and
    2. Joseph Price

    . 2013. “Using Incentives to Encourage Healthy Eating in Children.” Journal of Human Resources 48(4):855–72.

    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
34. ↵
    1. Kelishadi, Roya.

    2007. “Childhood Overweight, Obesity, and the Metabolic Syndrome in Developing Countries.” Epidemiologic Reviews 29:62–76.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
35. ↵
    1. Kinge, Jonas M., and
    2. Stephen Morris

    . 2018. “The Impact of Childhood Obesity on Health and Health Service Use.” Health Services Research 53(3):1621–43.

    OpenUrlPubMed
36. ↵
    1. Kling, Jeffrey R.,
    2. Jeffrey B. Liebman,
    3. Lawrence F. Katz, and
    4. Lisa Sanbonmatsu

    . 2004. “Moving to Opportunity and Tranquility: Neighborhood Effects on Adult Economic Self-Sufficiency and Health from a Randomized Housing Voucher Experiment.” HKS Working Paper RWP04-035.
37. ↵
    1. Kobes, Annita,
    2. Tina Kretschmer,
    3. Greetje Timmerman, and
    4. Pauline Schreuder

    . 2018. “Interventions Aimed at Preventing and Reducing Overweight/Obesity Among Children and Adolescents: A Meta‐Synthesis.” Obesity Reviews 19(8):1065–79.

    OpenUrlPubMed
38. 1. Kremer, Michael,
    2. Gautam Rao, and
    3. Frank Schilbach

    . 2019. “Behavioral Development Economics.” In Handbook of Behavioral Economics—Foundations and Applications, Volume 2, ed. B. Douglas Bernheim, Stefano DellaVigna, and David Laibson, 345–458. New York: Elsevier.

    OpenUrl
39. ↵
    1. Lai, Chien-Yu,
    2. John A. List, and
    3. Anya Samek

    . 2020. “Got Milk? Using Nudges to Reduce Consumption of Added Sugar.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 102:154–68.

    OpenUrl
40. ↵
    1. Lakdawalla, Darius, and
    2. Tomas Philipson

    . 2009. “The Growth of Obesity and Technological Change.” Economics and Human Biology 7(3):283–93.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
41. ↵
    1. Lakdawalla, Darius,
    2. Tomas Philipson, and
    3. Jay Bhattacharya

    . 2005. “Welfare-Enhancing Technological Change and the Growth of Obesity.” American Economic Review 95(2):253–57.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
42. ↵
    1. Lawlor, Margaret-Anne, and
    2. Andrea Prothero

    . 2011. “Pester Power—A Battle of Wills Between Children and Their Parents.” Journal of Marketing Management 27(5–6):561–81.

    OpenUrlCrossRef
43. ↵
    1. Lawrence, Wendy,
    2. Christina Black,
    3. Tannaze Tinati,
    4. Sue Cradock,
    5. Rufia Begum,
    6. Megan Jarman,
    7. Anna Pease,
    8. Barrie Margetts,
    9. Jenny Davies,
    10. Hazel Inskip,
    11. Cyrus Cooper,
    12. Janis Baird, and
    13. Mary Barker

    . 2016. “‘Making Every Contact Count’: Evaluation of the Impact of an Intervention to Train Health and Social Care Practitioners in Skills to Support Health Behaviour Change.” Journal of Health Psychology 21(2):138–51.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
44. ↵
    1. List, John A., and
    2. Anya S. Samek

    . 2015. “The Behavioralist as Nutritionist: Leveraging Behavioral Economics to Improve Child Food Choice and Consumption.” Journal of Health Economics 39:135–35.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
45. ↵
    1. Liu, Yiming.

    2019. “Effort Provision under Present Bias: Optimal Goal-Setting as a Commitment device.” Unpublished. https://www.yimingliuecon.com/uploads/1/2/2/7/122790501/goal_setting__1_.pdf (accessed January 22, 2025).
46. ↵
    1. Madigan, Claire D.,
    2. Amanda J. Daley,
    3. Amanda L. Lewis,
    4. Paul Aveyard, and
    5. Kate Jolly

    . 2015. “Is Self-Weighing an Effective Tool for Weight Loss: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 12(104):1–11.

    OpenUrl
47. ↵
    1. Mai,
    2. Thi My Thien,
    3. D. Gallegos,
    4. L. Jones,
    5. Q.C. Tran,
    6. T. Tran, and
    7. J.C. van der Pols

    . 2020a. “The Utility of Anthropometric Indicators to Identify Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Vietnamese Children.” British Journal of Nutrition 123(9):1043–55.

    OpenUrlPubMed
48. ↵
    1. Mai, Thi My Thien,
    2. Ngoc Oanh Pham,
    3. Thi Minh Hanh Tran,
    4. Peter Baker,
    5. Danielle Gallegos,
    6. Thi Ngoc Diep Do,
    7. Jolieke C. van der Pols, and
    8. Susan J. Jordan

    . 2020b. “The Double Burden of Malnutrition in Vietnamese School-Aged Children and Adolescents: A Rapid Shift over a Decade in Ho Chi Minh City.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 74(10):1448–56.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
49. 1. Marcus, Jan,
    2. Thomas Siedler, and
    3. Nicolas R. Zierbarth

    . 2022. “The Long-Run Effects of Sports Club Vouchers for Primary School Children.” American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 14(3):128–165.

    OpenUrl
50. ↵
    1. McGirr, Caroline,
    2. Ciara Rooney,
    3. Dunla Gallagher,
    4. Stephan U. Dombrowski,
    5. Annie S. Anderson,
    6. Christopher R. Cardwell,
    7. Caroline Free,
    8. Pat Hoddinott,
    9. Valerie A. Holmes,
    10. Emma McIntosh,
    11. Camilla Somers,
    12. Jayne V. Woodside,
    13. Ian S. Young,
    14. Frank Kee, and
    15. Michelle C. McKinley

    . 2020. “Text Messaging to Help Women with Overweight or Obesity Lose Weight After Childbirth: The Intervention Adaptation and SMS Feasibility RCT.” Public Health Research 8(4). https://doi.org/10.3310/phr08040
51. ↵
    1. McKenzie, David.

    2018. “More on Experimenter Demand Effects.” Development Impact, July 25. Washington, DC: World Bank. https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/more-experimenter-demand-effects (accessed January 22, 2025).
52. ↵
    1. Nam,
    2. Pham Khanh,
    3. Brandon J. Restrepo,
    4. Matthias Rieger, and
    5. Natascha Wagner

    . 2022. “Can Information Enhanced with Nudges Mitigate the Rise of Childhood Obesity in the Global South?” Mendeley Data, V1. https://doi.org/10.17632/fymdsykkww.1
53. ↵
    1. Nam,
    2. Pham Khanh,
    3. A. Sepehri,
    4. T.M. Le, and
    5. V.T. Tran

    . 2020. “Correlates of Body Mass Index Among Primary School Children in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.” Public Health 181:65–72.

    OpenUrlPubMed
54. ↵
    1. Park, So Hyun.

    2017. “Asian Parents’ Perception of Child Weight Status: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Child and Family Studies 26(9):2363–73.

    OpenUrl
55. ↵
    1. Philipson, Thomas J., and
    2. Richard A. Posner

    . 2003. “The Long-Run Growth in Obesity as a Function of Technological Change.” Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 46(3):S87–S107.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
56. ↵
    1. Pitt, Catherine,
    2. Catherine Goodman, and
    3. Kara Hanson

    . 2016. “Economic Evaluation in Global Perspective: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Recent Literature.” Health Economics 25(1):9–28.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
57. ↵
    1. Popkin, Barry M.

    1994. “The Nutrition Transition in Low-Income Countries: An Emerging Crisis.” Nutrition Reviews 52(9):285–98.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
58. ↵
    1. Prina, Silvia, and
    2. Heather Royer

    . 2014. “The Importance of Parental Knowledge: Evidence from Weight Report Cards in Mexico.” Journal of Health Economics 37:232–47.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
59. ↵
    1. Salam, Rehana A.,
    2. Zahra A. Padhani,
    3. Jai K. Das,
    4. Amina Y. Shaikh,
    5. Zahra Hoodbhoy,
    6. Sarah Masroor Jeelani,
    7. Zohra S. Lassi, and
    8. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta

    . 2020. “Effects of Lifestyle Modification Interventions to Prevent and Manage Child and Adolescent Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Nutrients 12(8):2208.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
60. ↵
    1. Samek, Anya.

    2019. “Gifts and Goals: Behavioral Nudges to Improve Child Food Choice at School.” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 164:1–12.

    OpenUrl
61. ↵
    1. Savage, Jennifer S.,
    2. Jennifer O. Fisher, and
    3. Leann L. Birch

    . 2007. “Parental Influence on Eating Behavior: Conception to Adolescence.” Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics 35(1):22–34.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
62. ↵
    1. Simmonds, M.,
    2. A. Llewellyn,
    3. C.G. Owen, and
    4. N. Woolacott

    . 2016. “Predicting Adult Obesity from Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Obesity Reviews 17(2):95–107.

    OpenUrlPubMed
63. ↵
    1. Staniford, Leanne J.,
    2. Jeff D. Breckon, and
    3. Robert J. Copeland

    . 2012. “Treatment of Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Child and Family Studies 21:545–64.

    OpenUrl
64. ↵
    1. Steinberg, Dori M.,
    2. Deborah F. Tate,
    3. Gary G. Bennett,
    4. Susan Ennett,
    5. Carmen Samuel-Hodge, and
    6. Dianne S. Warda

    . 2013. “The Efficacy of a Daily Self-Weighing Weight Loss Intervention Using Smart Scales and E-mail.” Obesity 21(9):1789–97.

    OpenUrlPubMed
65. ↵
    1. Strecher, Victor J.,
    2. Gerard H. Seijts,
    3. Gerjo J. Kok,
    4. Gary P. Latham,
    5. Russell Glasgow,
    6. Brenda DeVellis,
    7. Ree M. Meertens, and
    8. David W. Bulger

    . 1995. “Goal Setting as a Strategy for Health Behavior Change.” Health Education Quarterly 22(2):190–200.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
66. ↵
    1. Tremmel, Maximilian,
    2. Ulf-G. Gerdtham,
    3. Peter M. Nilsson, and
    4. Sanjib Saha

    . 2017. “Economic Burden of Obesity: A Systematic Literature Review.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 14(4):1–18.

    OpenUrl
67. ↵
    1. Vidmar, Suzanna I.,
    2. Tim J. Cole, and
    3. Huiqi Pan

    . 2004. “Standardizing Anthropometric Measures in Children and Adolescents with New Functions for Egen.” Stata Journal 4(1):50–55.

    OpenUrl
68. ↵
    1. Vuong, Quan-Hoang,
    2. Anh-Duc Hoang,
    3. Thu-Trang Vuong,
    4. Viet-Phuong La,
    5. Hong Kong T. Nguyen, and
    6. Manh-Tung Ho

    . 2018. “Factors Associated with the Regularity of Physical Exercises as a Means of Improving the Public Health System in Vietnam.” Sustainability 10(11):1–15.

    OpenUrl
69. ↵
    1. Wagstaff, Adam, and
    2. Anthony J. Culyer

    . 2012. “Four Decades of Health Economics Through a Bibliometric Lens.” Journal of Health Economics 31(2):406–39.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
70. ↵
    1. Whitaker, Robert C.,
    2. Jeffrey A. Wright,
    3. Margaret S. Pepe,
    4. Kristy D. Seidel, and
    5. William H. Dietz

    . 1997. “Predicting Obesity in Young Adulthood from Childhood and Parental Obesity.” New England Journal of Medicine 337(13):869–73.

    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
71. ↵
    World Health Organization. 2017. “Global Health Observatory Data Repository.” Geneva: WHO. https://apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main.REGION2480A?lang=en (accessed January 22, 2025).
72. ↵
    1. Wu, Yangfeng,
    2. Rachel Huxley,
    3. Ming Li, and
    4. Jun Ma

    . 2009. “The Growing Burden of Overweight and Obesity in Contemporary China.” CVD Prevention and Control 4(1):19–26.

    OpenUrlCrossRef