scholarly journals Effects of a School Based Intervention on Children’s Physical Activity and Healthy Eating: A Mixed-Methods Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (22) ◽  
pp. 4320
Author(s):  
Khan ◽  
Bell
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions ◽  
School Based ◽  
School Based Interventions ◽  
Children’S Physical Activity

Combined diet and physical activity school-based interventions (rather than only diet or physical activity interventions) are more likely to help prevent children from becoming overweight in the long term. However, such interventions are less prevalent, and therefore, this pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of a gardening intervention coupled with awareness about plant-based meals among 9−10 year old children in a London primary school. We recruited 60 children from two Year 5 classes, one class participated as an intervention group, and results were compared against another class who acted as the control group. Children’s physical activity (PA) was measured using GENEActiv wrist-worn accelerometers. Their fruit and vegetable intake and attitudes to and preferences in eating fruits and vegetables were measured using a self-report questionnaire. Furthermore, three focus groups were held with children in the intervention group to understand the reasons behind any change as a result of the intervention. Results are inconclusive; however, they indicate some impact on reduction of sedentary behaviour, increase of moderate to vigorous PA, knowledge of nutrition and some level of acceptance in trying new vegetables. School-based interventions involving gardening show some promise to increase children’s PA and improve their attitudes to eating fruits and vegetables.

scholarly journals Physical Activity through a Classroom-Based Intervention: A Pragmatic Non-Randomized Trial among Swedish Adolescents in an Upper Secondary School

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11041
Author(s):  
Filip Christiansen ◽  
Viktor H. Ahlqvist ◽  
Mikaela Nyroos ◽  
Hans Löfgren ◽  
Daniel Berglind
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Control Group ◽  
School Based ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Old Swedish ◽  
School Based Interventions ◽  
And Control

Schools are an important arena to curb the decline in physical activity (PA) in youth. School-based interventions with accelerometer-measured PA are warranted. This study aimed to increase accelerometer-measured PA in adolescents following a 12-month school-based intervention. Two school-classes of 16–18-year-old Swedish students were allocated to intervention group and control group. Accelerometer-measured PA was gathered at baseline, 6- and 12-month follow-up. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to investigate between-group and within-group differences in mean minutes per day (min/day) of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA) and sedentary time (ST). Fifty-seven students participated (intervention group = 31, control group = 26). At 12-month follow-up, the intervention group performed 5.9 (95% CI: −4.3, 16.2) min/day more in MVPA, 1.8 (95% CI: −17.9, 14.2) min/day less in LPA, and 4.1 (95% CI: −27.3, 19.2) min/day less in ST compared to the control group. Within the intervention group, there was no significant change in PA. Within the control group, LPA decreased (95% CI: −19.6, −0.2; p = 0.044) and ST increased (95% CI: 1.8, 30.8; p = 0.028). Although no between-group differences in PA were statistically significant, the within-group changes may suggest a preventive impact on the decline in PA during adolescence.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of School-Based Interventions on Obesity-Related Behaviours in Primary School Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 489
Author(s):  
Sarah Nally ◽  
Angela Carlin ◽  
Nicole E. Blackburn ◽  
Judith S. Baird ◽  
Jo Salmon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Z Score ◽  
School Based ◽  
Positive Treatment ◽  
School Based Interventions

School-based interventions are promising for targeting a change in obesity-related behaviours in children. However, the efficacy of school-based interventions to prevent obesity remains unclear. This review examined the effectiveness of school-based interventions at changing obesity-related behaviours (increased physical activity, decreased sedentary behaviour and improved nutrition behaviour) and/or a change in BMI/BMI z-score. Following PRISMA guidelines, seven databases were systematically searched from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2020. Two review authors independently screened studies for eligibility, completed data extraction and assessed the risk of bias of each of the included studies. Forty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in a narrative synthesis. Thirty-eight studies were eligible for inclusion in a meta-analysis. The findings demonstrate that interventions in children when compared to controls resulted in a small positive treatment effect in the control group (2.14; 95% CI = 0.77, 3.50). There was no significant effect on sedentary behaviour, energy intake and fruit and vegetable intake. Significant reductions were found between groups in BMI kg/m2 (−0.39; 95% CI = −0.47, −0.30) and BMI z-score (−0.05; 95% CI = −0.08, −0.02) in favour of the intervention. The findings have important implications for future intervention research in terms of the effectiveness of intervention components and characteristics.

scholarly journals A systematic review and meta-analysis of the overall effects of school-based obesity prevention interventions and effect differences by intervention components

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Liu ◽  
Han-Meng Xu ◽  
Li-Ming Wen ◽  
Yuan-Zhou Peng ◽  
Li-Zi Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Obesity Prevention ◽  
Single Component ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions ◽  
School Based ◽  
Prevention Interventions ◽  
School Based Interventions

Abstract Background Childhood obesity is a serious public health concern. School-based interventions hold great promise to combat the rising trend of childhood obesity. This systematic review aimed to assess the overall effects of school-based obesity prevention interventions, and to investigate characteristics of intervention components that are potentially effective for preventing childhood obesity. Methods We systematically searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL and Embase databases to identify randomized- or cluster randomized- controlled trials of school-based obesity interventions published between 1990 and 2019. We conducted meta-analyses and subgroup analyses to determine the overall effects of obesity prevention programs and effect differences by various characteristics of intervention components on body mass index (BMI) or BMI Z-score of children. Results This systematic review included a total of 50 trials (reported by 56 publications). Significant differences were found between groups on BMI (− 0.14 kg/m2 (95% confidence interval: − 0.21, − 0.06)) and BMI Z-score (− 0.05 (− 0.10, − 0.01)) for single-component interventions; significant differences were also found between groups on BMI (− 0.32 (− 0.54, − 0.09) kg/m2) and BMI Z-score (− 0.07 (− 0.14, − 0.001)) for multi-component interventions. Subgroup analyses consistently demonstrated that effects of single-component (physical activity) interventions including curricular sessions (− 0.30 (− 0.51, − 0.10) kg/m2 in BMI) were stronger than those without curricular sessions (− 0.04 (− 0.17, 0.09) kg/m2 in BMI); effects of single-component (physical activity) interventions were also strengthened if physical activity sessions emphasized participants’ enjoyment (− 0.19 (− 0.33, − 0.05) kg/m2 in BMI for those emphasizing participants’ enjoyment; − 0.004 (− 0.10, 0.09) kg/m2 in BMI for those not emphasizing participants’ enjoyment). The current body of evidence did not find specific characteristics of intervention components that were consistently associated with improved efficacy for multi-component interventions (P > 0.05). Conclusions School-based interventions are generally effective in reducing excessive weight gain of children. Our findings contribute to increased understandings of potentially effective intervention characteristics for single-component (physical activity) interventions. The impact of combined components on effectiveness of multi-component interventions should be the topic of further research. More high-quality studies are also needed to confirm findings of this review.

scholarly journals Strategies and effects of school-based interventions to promote active school transportation by bicycle among children and adolescents: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothea M. I. Schönbach ◽  
Teatske M. Altenburg ◽  
Adilson Marques ◽  
Mai J. M. Chinapaw ◽  
Yolanda Demetriou
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
School Travel ◽  
Behavior Change Techniques ◽  
School Based ◽  
Active School Travel ◽  
School Based Interventions

Abstract Background Promoting cycling to school may benefit establishing a lifelong physical activity routine. This systematic review aimed to summarize the evidence on strategies and effects of school-based interventions focusing on increasing active school transport by bicycle. Methods A literature search based on “PICo” was conducted in eight electronic databases. Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials with primary/secondary school students of all ages were included that conducted pre-post measurements of a school-based intervention aimed at promoting active school travel by bicycle and were published in English between 2000 and 2019. The methodological quality was assessed using the “Effective Public Health Practice Project” tool for quantitative studies. Applied behavior change techniques were identified using the “BCT Taxonomy v1”. Two independent researchers undertook the screening, data extraction, appraisal of study quality, and behavior change techniques. Results Nine studies investigating seven unique interventions performed between 2012 and 2018 were included. All studies were rated as weak quality. The narrative synthesis identified 19 applied behavior change techniques clustered in eleven main groups according to their similarities and a variety of 35 different outcome variables classified into seven main groups. Most outcomes were related to active school travel and psychosocial factors, followed by physical fitness, physical activity levels, weight status, active travel and cycling skills. Four studies, examining in total nine different outcomes, found a significant effect in favor of the intervention group on bicycle trips to school (boys only), percentage of daily cycling trips to school, parental/child self-efficacy, parental outcome expectations, moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (total, from cycling, before/after school), and total basic cycling skills. Seven of these outcomes were only examined in two studies conducting the same intervention in children, a voluntary bicycle train to/from school accompanied by adults, including the following clustered main groups of behavior change techniques: shaping knowledge, comparison of behavior, repetition and substitution as well as antecedents. Conclusions The applied strategies in a bicycle train intervention among children indicated great potential to increase cycling to school. Our findings provide relevant insights for the design and implementation of future school-based interventions targeting active school transport by bicycle. Trial registration This systematic review has been registered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews “PROSPERO” at (registration number: CRD42019125192).

Clustering of chronic diseases risk factors among adolescents: a quasi-experimental study in Sousse, Tunisia

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emna Dendana ◽  
Rim Ghammem ◽  
Jihene Sahli ◽  
Jihen Maatoug ◽  
Sihem Ben Fredj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽  
Control Group ◽  
School Based Intervention ◽  
School Based ◽  
Quasi Experimental

Abstract Background The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based physical activity and nutritional behavior intervention, on the reduction of clustering of chronic diseases risk factors among school children. Materials and methods A quasi-experimental school-based intervention was conducted with an intervention group and a control group in the region of Sousse in Tunisia. The intervention was implemented between 2010 and 2013, with data collected at pre and at post intervention. Studied risk factors were: smoking, sedentary behavior, low fruit and vegetable intake and obesity. Odds ratios (ORs) were used to calculate the clustering of two risk factors. We calculated ORs in each group before and after the intervention. Results In the intervention group, the prevalence of adolescents that had no risk factors has significantly increased (p = 0.004). In the control group the prevalence of adolescents carrying two or more risk factors has increased (p = 0.06). The results showed that all risk factors tended to cluster together in both groups. In the intervention group, the calculated OR for smoking and sedentary behavior decreased after assessment (OR = 5.93) as well as the OR for smoking and low fruit and vegetable intake (OR = 3.26). In the control group, all ORs increased, showing an enhancement of the association. Conclusion This study showed the effectiveness of a school-based intervention in reducing the clustering of chronic diseases risk factors.

Efficacy of an E-Mail Intervention for the Promotion of Physical Activity and Nutrition Behavior in the Workplace Context

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 422-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald C. Plotnikoff ◽  
Linda J. McCargar ◽  
Philip M. Wilson ◽  
Constantinos A. Loucaides
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Nutrition Behavior ◽  
Nutrition Messages ◽  
Mail Address ◽  
E Mail

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a 12-week workplace e-mail intervention designed to promote physical activity and nutrition behavior. Design. A pre- and post-test design was conducted to compare the effects of e-mail messages between intervention and control groups. Setting. Five large workplaces in Alberta, Canada. Subjects. Employees with access to a personal e-mail address (N = 2121) were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 1566) or a control group (n = 555). Intervention. Physical activity and nutrition messages were based on social-cognitive theories. The intervention group received one physical activity and one parallel nutrition message per week for 12 weeks. The control group received no weekly messages. Measures. Each participant completed self-report measures of physical activity and nutrition related to knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors 1 week before (time 1) and 1 week after (time 2) the intervention. Results. The intervention group was more efficacious at time 2 on measures of self-efficacy, pros, cons, intentions, and behavior related to physical activity. This group also reported more favorable changes in practicing healthy eating, balancing food intake with activity level, cooking meals with techniques to reduce fat, and avoiding eating high-fat foods. Effect sizes for all significant differences were small. Conclusion. E-mail is a promising mode of delivery for promoting physical activity and nutrition in the workplace. Further theoretically driven studies are needed.

scholarly journals The role of the teacher in the implementation of a School-based intervention on the physical activity practice of children

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tegwen Gadais ◽  
Theo Caron ◽  
Marie Belle Ayoub ◽  
Antony Karelis ◽  
Luc Nadeau
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Elementary School Teachers ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
School Based

INTRODUCTION: Medium or long term intervention strategies on physical activity practice (PAP) need to be more effective in their implementation by practitioners. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of a teacher to implement the Team Pentathlon (TP) in order to improve the PAP in children. METHODS: 203 children (age: 10-13years), grades 5 and 6 (intervention group [IG] N = 104, control group [CG] N = 99) were guided to increase their PAP during an 8-week period by 5 elementary school teachers (physical education or classroom) who received 4 training sessions. Levels of PAP (self-reported) were compared between groups (IG/CG), sex, socioeconomic status of the schools and between teachers: baseline and during TP. RESULTS: Several teachers noted significant increases in PAP in the IG for both boys and girls (p<.05 or p<.01), whereas others found only small improvements in PAP. One teacher even observed higher PAP in the CG. Training session records revealed that the teacher himself, how the TP is implemented, and proper resources were the 3 elements that explained the successful implementation of the TP program. CONCLUSION: The implementation of the TP significantly increased the PAP in children. Training sessions helped teachers to implement the TP program but personal engagement, motivation, respecting protocol and adequate environment are necessary in improving the PAP of children.

scholarly journals The Effects of a Brief Lifestyle Intervention on the Health of Overweight Airline Pilots during COVID-19: A 12-Month Follow-Up Study

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4288
Author(s):  
Daniel Wilson ◽  
Matthew Driller ◽  
Paul Winwood ◽  
Ben Johnston ◽  
Nicholas Gill
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Airline Pilots ◽  
Self Rated Health

The aim of this study was to perform a 12-month follow-up of health parameters after a 17-week lifestyle intervention in overweight airline pilots. A parallel-group (intervention and control) study was conducted amongst 72 overweight airline pilots (body mass index > 25) over a 12-month period following the emergence of COVID-19. The intervention group (n = 35) received a personalized dietary, sleep, and physical activity program over a 17-week period. The control group (n = 37) received no intervention. Measurements for subjective health (physical activity, sleep quality and quantity, fruit and vegetable intake, and self-rated health) via an electronic survey, and objective measures of body mass and blood pressure were taken at baseline and at 12 months. Significant interactions for group × time from baseline to 12-months were found for all outcome measures (p < 0.001). Body mass and mean arterial pressure significantly decreased in the intervention group when compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Outcome measures for subjective health (physical activity, sleep quality and quantity, fruit and vegetable intake, and self-rated health) significantly increased in the intervention group when compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Results provide preliminary evidence that a brief three-component healthy sleep, diet and physical activity intervention can elicit and sustain long-term improvements in body mass and blood pressure management, health behaviors, and perceived subjective health in pilots and may support quality of life during an unprecedented global pandemic.

scholarly journals Effects of School-Based Exergaming on Urban Children’s Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Quasi-Experimental Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye ◽  
Pope ◽  
Lee ◽  
Gao
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control School ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
School Based ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Over Time

Background: Modern-day technology is appealing to children. Few studies, however, have conducted longitudinal analyses of a school-based exergaming program’s effect on physical activity (PA) behaviors and fitness in children. Therefore, this study examined the longitudinal effect of an 8-month school-based exergaming intervention on children’s objectively-measured PA and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Materials and Methods: Eighty-one fourth grade students (X̅age = 9.23 ± 0.62; 39 girls; 54.3% African American, 30.9% Non-Hispanic White, 14.8% other) participated in this study from 2014–2015. The intervention school’s children participated in a once-weekly 50-minute exergaming intervention during recess throughout the school year, while the control school continued regular recess. Children’s in-school PA and sedentary behavior (SB) were measured with ActiGraphGT3X+ accelerometers, with CRF assessed via the half-mile run. All measurements were taken at baseline, mid-intervention (four months) and post-intervention (eight months). Repeated-measures two-way ANCOVAs using age and race as covariates were conducted to examine between-school differences over time for SB, light PA (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and CRF. Results: Significant time by group interactions were observed for LPA, F(1, 79) = 7.82, η2 = 0.09, p < 0.01, and MVPA, F(1, 79) = 4.58, η2 = 0.06, p < 0.05, as LPA increased among the control group, while MVPA increased among intervention group. Children in both groups experienced decreased SB during the intervention (intervention: −7.63 minutes; control: −17.59 minutes), but demonstrated lower CRF over time (intervention: +46.73 seconds; control: +61.60 seconds). Conclusions: Observations suggested that school-based exergaming implementation may be effective in increasing children’s MVPA and decreasing their SB over the course an academic year (i.e., ~eight months). More research is needed, however, to discern how modifications to school-based exergaming might also promote improved CRF in children.

scholarly journals The Role of the Teacher in the Implementation of a School-Based Intervention on the Physical Activity Practice of Children

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 7344
Author(s):  
Tegwen Gadais ◽  
Theo Caron ◽  
Marie-Belle Ayoub ◽  
Antony Karelis ◽  
Luc Nadeau
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Elementary School Teachers ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
School Based

Medium- or long-term intervention strategies for physical activity practice (PAP) need to be more effective in terms of their implementation by practitioners. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of a teacher to implement the Team Pentathlon (TP) in order to improve the PAP in primary children. TP is a health education program made to improve PAP of children through individual and collective achievements. In this study, 203 children (age: 10–13 years) in grades 5 and 6 (intervention group (IG) N = 104, control group (CG) N = 99) were guided to increase their PAP during an eight-week period by five elementary school teachers (physical education or classroom) who had received four training sessions. Levels of PAP (self-reported) were compared between groups (IG/CG), sex, socioeconomic status of the schools and between teachers: baseline and during TP. Several teachers noted significant increases in PAP in the IG for both boys and girls (p ≤ 0.05 or p < 0.01), whereas others found only small improvements in PAP. One teacher even observed higher PAP in the CG. Training session records revealed that the teacher himself, how the TP is implemented, and proper resources were the three elements that explained the successful implementation of the TP program. The implementation of the TP significantly increased the PAP in primary children. Training sessions helped teachers to implement the TP program but personal engagement, motivation, respecting protocol, and an adequate environment are also necessary in improving the PAP of children.

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