WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative: School Nutrition Environment and Body Mass Index in  Primary Schools

In response to concerns about childhood obesity, many US states have implemented policies to limit the sale of unhealthy foods and beverages (e.g., snacks, desserts, and sugary drinks) sold in competition with school meal programs (i.e., competitive foods) in order to improve the nutritional environment of schools and support student health. This study measured state-level competitive food and beverage policies that require foods and beverages sold in à la carte lines, vending machines, and school stores to meet strong nutrition standards and tested the hypothesis that students living in states with stronger laws would have lower body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentiles. BMI data from a national sample of 1625 students attending 284 schools from the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study were linked to state laws coded as part of the National Wellness Policy Study. A survey-adjusted linear regression model accounting for student and school-level characteristics showed that stronger state nutrition policies were associated with lower student BMI scores (coefficient: −0.06, 95% CI: −0.12, −0.00). Additional models indicated that stronger state policies were significantly associated with fewer unhealthy foods and beverages available in schools. These findings suggest that strong regulations on competitive foods and beverages may lead to improvements in the nutritional quality of the school environment and student BMI. Thus, current federal standards regulating snacks in US schools (i.e., Smart Snacks) are an important element of a comprehensive strategy to improve the school nutrition environment and reduce rates of childhood obesity.

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Health and nutrition education in primary schools of Crete: follow-up changes in body mass index and overweight status

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602216 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 59 (9) ◽

pp. 1090-1092 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

A Kafatos ◽

◽

Y Manios ◽

J Moschandreas

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Body Mass ◽

Primary Schools ◽

Overweight Status ◽

Health And Nutrition ◽

Health And Nutrition Education

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Orthopedic Problems in Overweight and Obese Children

Integrative Pediatrics and Child Care ◽

10.18314/ipcc.v1i1.1102 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 05-07

Author(s):

GL Di Gennaro

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Coronary Artery Disease ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Body Mass ◽

The United States ◽

Obese Children ◽

The World ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity ◽

Artery Disease

According to the data published by Haslam and James, about 10% of the world populations aged up to 18 areoverweight or obese [1]. In Europe, there are about 20% children with excessive body mass, 5% of whom sufferfrom obesity [2,3]. Childhood obesity is an ongoing epidemic in the United States [4,5]. The most recent data fromthe US indicate that 16.9% of children and adolescents are obese, defined as a body mass index (BMI) for age >95thpercentile [6,7] and there is evidence that the prevalence of obesity among children will reach 30% by 2030 [8].Childhood obesity is a risk factor for greater morbidity later in life, including diabetes, coronary artery disease andincreased mortality [4,5,9,10].

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Comparison of body mass index, the bioimpedance electric and waist circumference in childhood obesity classification

Advances in Obesity Weight Management & Control ◽

10.15406/aowmc.2019.09.00289 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 144-147

Author(s):

Ana Paula Carvalho Moreira Alves ◽

Liliana Filipa Oliveira Carola ◽

Emilia Manuela Oliveira Barros ◽

Ceomara Palmira Tavares de Pna

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Body Mass

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Abstract 17944: Effects of School-Based Interventions on Body Mass Index in Children and Adolescents: a Systematic Overview and Meta-analysis

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.130.suppl_2.17944 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽

Author(s):

Jiyoon J Park ◽

Randa Bakhet ◽

Danica Karl ◽

Fei Yuan ◽

Eva Lonn

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Body Mass ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Control Groups ◽

School Based ◽

School Based Interventions ◽

The Difference ◽

Dietary Modifications

Background: Childhood obesity is a major public health threat. Various school-based interventions (SBIs) to prevent obesity through physical activity and/or dietary modifications were implemented. However, the effectiveness of such SBIs remains unproven. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of SBIs. Methods: We searched for RCTs of SBIs published since 1990. To be eligible studies had to have an RCT design, to include children aged 6-18 years and SBIs were defined as non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions carried out in a school setting with a minimum duration of 12 weeks. The primary outcome was change in body mass index (BMI. For each study the difference in the mean change in BMI between the intervention and the control groups was computed. The summary estimate for the difference in mean change in BMI and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed using a weighted inverse variance approach and a random- effects model. The I 2 statistic was used to test for heterogeneity. Results: Of 504 studies identified, 41 involving 42 430 participants met the inclusion criteria. SBIs varied greatly between studies by type, duration and delivery. In 10 RCTs the SBI focused on physical activity, in 6 on dietary modifications and in 25 on both physical activity and dietary modifications. SBIs duration ranged from 12 weeks to 4 years. There was no significant difference in mean BMI change between the intervention and the control groups (mean difference = -0.281kg/m 2 ; 95% CI -0.584 to 0.022), although there was significant heterogeneity between the RCTs’ findings (Figure). We found also no consistent impact on other measures of adiposity, physical activity patterns, dietary intakes and psychosocial health and wellbeing. Conclusions: SBIs had no substantial impact on BMI in children aged 6-18 years. Further research is needed to identify effective interventions to prevent childhood obesity.

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Addressing the Public Health Epidemic of Childhood Obesity Using Public Schools as Health Education Learning Laboratories

International Journal of Public and Private Perspectives on Healthcare Culture and the Environment ◽

10.4018/ijppphce.2020070102 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 12-24

Author(s):

Darrell Norman Burrell ◽

Jorja B. Wright ◽

Clishia Taylor ◽

Tiffiny Shockley ◽

April Reaves ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Public Schools ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Body Mass ◽

Body Fat ◽

School Food ◽

Index Reduction ◽

Keywords And Phrases ◽

Food Gardens

In our society, childhood obesity has become a pressing health issue. Childhood obesity occurs when children are considerably overweight for their age and height. Body mass index (BMI) is used to measure the percentage of body fat; therefore, the higher the BMI, the more body fat an individual has accompanied by the likelihood that the individual is obese. This research aims to address the factors that cause childhood obesity. A total of 116 journal articles were used for the development of this paper; the articles were analyzed and selected based on the occurrence of the following keywords and phrases: (1) childhood obesity, (2) social cognition theory, (3) telemedicine, and (4) nutrition education. The literature review showed a relationship between childhood obesity and body mass index (reduction, the use of telemedicine, and school food gardens). Using telemedicine video conferencing software and adding food gardens to public school curricula may be a strategy educators and policymakers can use to reduce the rate of childhood obesity.

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Investigating the mediators and moderators of child body mass index change in the Time2bHealthy childhood obesity prevention program for parents of preschool-aged children

Public Health ◽

10.1016/j.puhe.2019.04.017 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 173 ◽

pp. 50-57

Author(s):

M.L. Hammersley ◽

A.D. Okely ◽

M.J. Batterham ◽

R.A. Jones

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Body Mass ◽

Obesity Prevention ◽

Prevention Program ◽

Body Mass Index Change ◽

Childhood Obesity Prevention ◽

Index Change ◽

Child Body Mass Index ◽

Obesity Prevention Program

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Sociodemographic Correlates of Obesity among Spanish Schoolchildren: A Cross-Sectional Study

Children ◽

10.3390/children7110201 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (11) ◽

pp. 201

Author(s):

José Francisco López-Gil ◽

Alba López-Benavente ◽

Pedro Juan Tárraga López ◽

Juan Luis Yuste Lucas

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Body Mass ◽

Capita Income ◽

Primary Schools ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Immigrant Status ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Per Capita Income ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Per Capita

Some studies have been conducted in order to assess the association between weight status (assessed by body mass index) and socio-demographic factors. Nevertheless, only a few of them have indicated these associations by other anthropometric parameters (e.g., skinfolds). The aim of this study was to determine, compare, and examine the influence of age, sex, type of the schooling, per capita income, area of residence, and immigrant status on obesity parameters in schoolchildren aged 6–13 from the Region of Murcia. A cross-sectional study was carried out in six different Primary schools of the Region of Murcia (Spain). A total sample of 370 children (166 girls) aged 6–13 (8.7 ± 1.8) were selected. In order to determine participants’ body composition, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and skinfold measurements were calculated. Higher associations of excess of weight (OR = 1.96; 95%CI = 1.19–3.20) and abdominal obesity (OR = 3.12; 95CI% = 1.49–6.94) were shown in the case of children from public schools. A greater association of high trunk fat mass was found in children from municipalities with high per capita income (OR = 3.20; 95%CI = 1.05–9.77). Therefore, lower association of having an inadequate %BF was found in the participants aged 6–9 (OR = 0.38; 95%CI = 0.24–0.54), and immigrant students (OR = 2.63; 95%CI = 1.69–4.10). Our study suggested that overweight/obesity among schoolchildren in the Region of Murcia is higher than the overall prevalence of Spain. The results of the adjusted analyses showed that age, type of schooling, per capita income, and immigrant status were associated with obesity parameters.

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