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Immigrational background affects the effectiveness of a school-based overweight prevention program promoting water
Rebecca Muckelbauer1, Lars Libuda, Kerstin Clausen
1Research Institute of Child Nutrition Dortmund, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University of Bonn, Dortmund, Germany. muckelbauer@fke-do.de
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|August 29, 2009
Summary
A school-based water consumption program effectively prevented overweight in non-immigrant children but not in immigrant children. This highlights disparities in childhood obesity prevention strategies for diverse populations.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern, particularly in diverse socioeconomic and cultural settings.
- School-based interventions are a common strategy for overweight prevention in children.
- The effectiveness of interventions may vary across different demographic groups, including children with an immigrational background (MIG).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based water consumption program for overweight prevention.
- To determine if the intervention's effect differs between children with and without an immigrational background (MIG).
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of a one-year controlled cluster trial involving 32 elementary schools and 2,950 children (1,306 MIG).
- Intervention group received water fountains and lessons promoting water consumption; control group received no intervention.
- Overweight status, body mass index (BMI), and beverage consumption were assessed before and after the intervention.
Main Results:
- The intervention significantly reduced the risk of being overweight in non-MIG children (OR=0.51, CI: 0.31-0.83) but not in MIG children (OR=1.02, CI: 0.63-1.65).
- Immigrational background modified the intervention's effect on overweight prevalence and remission (P=0.03, P=0.02).
- Water consumption increased similarly in both groups, suggesting other factors influenced overweight outcomes.
Conclusions:
- A simple school-based water promotion program effectively prevented overweight in non-MIG children.
- The intervention was ineffective in preventing overweight among MIG children, indicating a need for tailored approaches.
- Disparities in intervention effectiveness underscore the importance of considering cultural and lifestyle factors in childhood obesity prevention programs.
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