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Primary School Children's Health Behaviors, Attitudes, and Body Mass Index After a 10-Week Lifestyle Intervention
Elise C Brown1, Duncan S Buchan2, Dorin Drignei3
1Department of Public and Environmental Wellness, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, United States.
Insights
A 10-week lifestyle intervention significantly reduced child body mass index (BMI) short-term. However, these BMI changes were not sustained long-term without ongoing support, indicating a need for extended programs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Obesity Prevention
- Lifestyle Interventions
Background:
- Addressing the global child obesity epidemic requires effective interventions.
- Evaluating the impact of lifestyle changes on childhood obesity is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess immediate and long-term effects of a 10-week lifestyle intervention.
- To determine changes in body mass index (BMI) and psychosocial factors in children.
Main Methods:
- 770 primary school children (8.75 ± 0.98 years) participated.
- Intervention included healthy eating, physical activity, parental involvement, and behavior change techniques over 10 weeks.
- BMI and psychosocial variables were measured pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 6-month follow-up.
Main Results:
- A significant decrease in body mass index (BMI) of 0.8512 kg/m² was observed from pre- to post-intervention (P = 0.0182).
- No significant changes in BMI were found between post-intervention and 6-month follow-up (P = 0.5446).
- Psychosocial variables showed no significant changes throughout the study.
Conclusions:
- The 10-week lifestyle intervention demonstrated short-term effectiveness in reducing child BMI.
- Sustained BMI reduction likely requires longer intervention durations and ongoing support.
- Further research should explore extended lifestyle programs for long-term childhood obesity management.
Abstract:
Background: Given the current global child obesity epidemic, testing the effectiveness of interventions in reducing obesity and its influencers is paramount. The purpose of this study was to determine immediate and long-term changes in body mass index and psychosocial variables following a 10-week lifestyle intervention. Methods: Seven hundred and seventy participants (8.75 ± 0.98 years of age, 379 boys and 391 girls) took part in the study. Participants had height, weight, and psychosocial questionnaires assessed at pre- and post-control, pre- and post-intervention, and 6-months post-intervention. Participants completed a weekly 10-week intervention consisting of healthy eating and physical activity education, physical activity, parental involvement, and behavior change techniques. Regression models were fit with correlated errors where the correlation occurred only between time points, not between subjects, and the nesting effects of school and area deprivation were controlled. Results: Regression models revealed a significant decrease in body mass index from pre- to post-intervention of 0.8512 kg/m2 (P = 0.0182). No Changes in body mass index occurred from post-intervention to 6-month follow-up (P = 0.5446). The psychosocial variables did not significantly change. Conclusions: This lifestyle intervention may be an effective means for improving body mass index in primary school children in the short-term if the duration of the intervention is increased, but these changes may not be sustained without on-going support.