The studies reviewed for this study were mostly efficacy
trials. The purpose of an efficacy trial is to examine the effect
of the intervention program when delivered under wellcontrolled
conditions with high standards of internal validity
(Whittemore, 2009). Because a limited number of efficacy
trials on child obesity prevention and treatment intervention
programs targeting parents have been conducted; more
efficacy trials are needed to investigate the efficacy of the
intervention programs. At the same time, effectiveness trials
to assess whether the intervention can be implemented in real
clinical settings need to be initiated (Glasgow, Lichtenstein,
& Marcus, 2003; Whittemore, 2009). Pragmatic clinical
trials may also be beneficial to evaluate intervention
programs, considering both efficacy and effectiveness in order
to have efficacious programs be able to be disseminated and
effective in the clinical setting