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Updated: Apr 27, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
[Evaluation of an obesity prevention program for school-aged children in deprived urban areas]
P François1, A Guyomard2, D Baudet3
1Unité d'évaluation médicale, pôle santé publique, pavillon Taillefer, CHU de Grenoble, BP 217, 38043 Grenoble, France; Laboratoire TIMC-IMAG CNRS, université Grenoble 1, pavillon Taillefer, CHU de Grenoble, BP 217, 38043 Grenoble, France.
Insights
This obesity prevention program for underprivileged children did not significantly change their weight over two years. The study found no short-term impact on children's corpulence despite lifestyle changes.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing concern, disproportionately affecting underprivileged populations.
- Deprived urban areas present unique challenges for implementing effective obesity prevention strategies.
- Early identification and intervention are crucial for managing childhood overweight and obesity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an obesity prevention program targeting school-aged children in deprived urban settings.
- To assess changes in body mass index (BMI) and Z scores over a two-year period.
- To examine the impact on children's lifestyle and eating habits.
Main Methods:
- An intervention trial with a before-and-after cohort comparison was conducted in three deprived urban areas.
- School-aged children from preschool and primary school were included, with follow-up after two years.
- Measurements included BMI and Z scores, alongside lifestyle and eating habit questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Overweight prevalence increased with age, reaching 21.9% in primary school children.
- A significant increase in overweight prevalence was observed in the entire cohort over two years (13.8% to 21.5%).
- Despite reported improvements in eating habits and increased sports participation, the mean BMI and Z scores of overweight children also increased.
Conclusions:
- The obesity prevention program, including incentives for medical management, did not demonstrate a significant short-term effect on children's corpulence.
- Further research is needed to identify more effective long-term strategies for childhood obesity prevention in vulnerable populations.
- The study highlights the persistent challenge of managing childhood obesity despite intervention efforts.
Objective:
Increasing prevalence of obesity particularly affects underprivileged families and children. This study aimed to estimate the efficiency of an obesity prevention program for school-aged children in deprived urban areas.
Methods:
This was an intervention trial with a before-and-after comparison of a cohort of school-aged children in preschool and primary school in three deprived urban areas in Grenoble, France. All school-aged children in the first and third year of preschool and the third year of primary school during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years, whose parents agreed to participate in the study, were included. Children were seen again 2 years later. The staff of the school health service measured and weighed the children during a medical check-up, thus determining their body mass index (BMI) and Z score. A school doctor suggested specific care to the parents of overweight children. A lifestyle questionnaire was completed. The primary outcome was changes in BMI and the Z score over 2 years. The secondary outcome was changes in lifestyle and eating habits.
Results:
A total of 2434 children were included in the screening campaign. Of the 2434 children included in screening, 1824 children were reviewed and evaluated at 2 years. At inclusion, overweight prevalence increased with age, from 6.4% in the first year of preschool to 21.9% in the third year of primary school. More than 60% of overweight children had a high social vulnerability score. Prevalence of overweight increased from 13.8% to 21.5% in 2 years in the entire cohort (P<0.001). In the 252 overweight children, the mean BMI increased from 20 kg/m(2) to 21.8 kg/m(2) (P<0.001), as did the mean Z score, which increased from 2.72 to 2.9 (P<0.001). There was no significant interaction depending on whether the family physician was in private practice or employed by a health center. According to their eating habits, fewer of the overweight children had a snack in the morning and more had a school lunch. More than half of the children thought they had improved their eating habits. They played more sports (30% versus 49.5%).
Conclusion:
This study failed to demonstrate that incentive for medical management of excess weight had an effect on the short-term (2 years) evolution of the children's corpulence.
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