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Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Association between a school-based intervention and adiposity outcomes in adolescents: The Italian "EAT" project
Federica Ermetici1, Roberta F Zelaschi1, Silvia Briganti1
1Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases Unit, I.R.C.C.S. Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Milan, Italy.
Objective:
To evaluate whether a school-based multicomponent educational program could improve adiposity measures in middle-school adolescents.
Methods:
A non-randomized controlled pilot study was conducted in six state middle schools (487 adolescents, 11-15 years) in townships in an urban area around Milan, three schools (n = 262 adolescents) being assigned to the intervention group and three schools (n = 225 adolescents) to the control group. The two-school-year intervention included changes in the school environment (alternative healthy vending machines, educational posters) and individual reinforcement tools (school lessons, textbook, text messages, pedometers, re-usable water bottles). The main outcome measure was change in BMI z-score. The secondary outcomes were changes in waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and behavioral habits.
Results:
The intervention was associated with a significant difference in BMI z-score (-0.18 ± 0.03, P<0.01) and in WHtR (-0.04 ± 0.002, P < 0.001), after controlling for baseline covariates. Subgroup analysis showed the maximum association between the intervention and the difference in BMI z-score for girls with overweight/obesity. Physical activity increased and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and high-energy snacks decreased in adolescents after the intervention.
Conclusions:
A school-based multicomponent intervention conducted at both environmental and individual levels may be effective for reducing adiposity measures mainly in adolescents with overweight/obesity.
