**3. Results**

Table 2 shows the general characteristics of research publications. Between the years 1991 to 2018, there were 20,925 papers related to interventions and treatments for children and adolescents with overweight or obesity. On average, the number of publications each year increased. There was a notable jump in the number of publications between the years 2010 and 2011; 852 and 1,432 publications respectively (roughly a 68% increase in 2011). This phenomenon may be explained by the impact of the "Let's Move!" campaign [43] and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on childhood obesity [44]. The total number of usages and the mean use rate of the last five years of papers published in 2013 were the highest compared with that of other years, which shows the recent interest of readers, was significantly higher within the past five years (Figure 1).


**Table 2.** General characteristics of publications.

\* Total usage: Total number of downloads. \*\* Mean use rate: Total number of downloads/Total number of papers.

**Figure 1.** Changes in research topics development in obesity interventions among children and youths. Note: Topic 1: Communities interventions; Topic 2: Pharmacotherapeutic interventions; Topic 3: Epidemiological studies; Topic 4: Family-based, multidisciplinary interventions; Topic 5: Treatment of obesity-related diseases; Topic 6: Psychological and social impairments related to obesity; Topic 7: Treatment of chronic conditions with complications by obesity; Topic 8: Biomedical and preclinical research of obesity-related issues; Topic 9: Community interventions to promote physical activity; Topic 10: Dietary interventions. Topic 1, Topic 2, and Topic 3 received the highest number of papers; meanwhile, Topic 10 had the lowest number of publications.

Table 3 presents the top 60 countries where the research was conducted. Two-thirds of the studies were conducted in the USA with 1394 papers (20.61%). In the top 10 countries, there were three Asian countries, India, China, and Oman, each of which contributed 4.9%, 3.4%, and 2.9% of the publications, respectively. In Africa, a high percentage of children with apparently healthy BMI-for-age have excessive body fatness [45], such as South Africa (9.4%–school–age children and adolescents 5–19 years, 2016), and Ghana (15%–school children 9–15 years, 2012).

The top ten research topics are presented in Table 4. Topics with the highest volumes of publications included Topic 2: Pharmacotherapeutic interventions on obesity and complications (n = 2475 publications); Topic 1: Community Interventions among Children and Youths (n = 2371 publications); and Topic 3: Epidemiological studies of obesity among children and youth (n = 2350 publications).


**Table 3.** Number of papers by countries as study settings.



Figure 1 depicts the changes in publication volume related to the top ten research topics. In the last five years, Topic 1: School, Community, and System Approaches to Obesity Interventions among Children and Youths, and Topic 2: Pharmacotherapeutic interventions on obesity and related chronic conditions, have attracted the most attention amongst researchers. Notably, treatment for health issues related to obesity (Topic 5 or Topic 7) was one of the main concerns in this field of research.

Figure 2 presents the hierarchical clustering of research disciplines in the intervention and treatment of children and adolescents with obesity. The horizontal axis of the dendrogram shows the distance or dissimilarity between clusters while the vertical represents the research disciplines. Figure 2 shows that research landscapes in the intervention and treatment of children and adolescents with obesity and overweight are rooted in pediatrics and psychology disciplines. These research areas had a close connection with other clinic fields such as Hepatology, Urology, or Dentistry. In the top, we found the integration of (a) Psychiatry, (b) Psychology clinical, and (c) Psychology. This shows a looser connection between Pediatrics and Psychology clinical; meanwhile, associations between obesity and psychiatric disorders has been proved in some studies [46,47].

**Figure 2.** Dendrogram of coincidence of research areas using the WOS classifications.
