Food, Health, & Choices: Curriculum and Wellness Interventions to Decrease Childhood Obesity in Fifth-Graders

Area of Science:

• Pediatric obesity prevention
• Health behavior interventions
• School-based health programs

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
• Effective school-based interventions are needed to address obesity and promote healthy behaviors.
• Previous interventions have shown mixed results in impacting obesity and related behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the "Food, Health, & Choices" intervention program.
• To assess the impact of curriculum and wellness interventions on obesity and energy balance-related behaviors in elementary students.
• To examine the influence of these interventions on theory-based determinants of behavior change.

Main Methods:

• A 10-month cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in 20 New York City elementary schools.
• Fifth-grade students (n=1,159) were assigned to curriculum, wellness, combined, or control groups.
• Outcomes included body mass index (BMI) percentiles, energy balance-related behaviors, and determinants of behavior change.

Main Results:

• The intervention did not result in significant changes in obesity (BMI percentile).
• The wellness intervention positively impacted several dietary behaviors, including reduced consumption of sweetened beverages, processed snacks, candy, baked goods, and fast food.
• The curriculum intervention showed a negative change in physical activity, and no intervention group demonstrated changes in theory-based determinants of behavior.

Conclusions:

• The "Food, Health, & Choices" intervention did not effectively reduce obesity among fifth-grade students.
• While the wellness component showed promise in modifying specific eating behaviors, the lack of impact on obesity and behavioral determinants warrants further investigation.
• Future research should explore more comprehensive strategies and longer-term effects of school-based health interventions.