Effectiveness of school-based intervention in obese children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Obesity Research
• School Health Interventions
• Physical Activity and Fitness Studies

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing concern, linked to increased screen time and poor nutrition.
• Schools are ideal settings for interventions due to children's significant time spent there.
• Obesity in childhood often persists into adulthood, necessitating early preventive measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of school-based interventions (SBIs) on physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF).
• To assess the impact of SBIs on reducing obesity indicators in children aged 10-16 years.

Main Methods:

• A 6-month prospective interventional study involving 450 children (10-16 years) in Pune, India.
• Participants were divided into experimental, control, and normal healthy groups.
• Outcome measures included BMI, body fat percentage (PBF), PA (YPAQ), and PF (FITNESSGRAM®).

Main Results:

• The experimental group showed significant improvements: 20.04% increase in PA (YPAQ), 33.77% in curl-ups, 33.01% in trunk lifts, and 23.98% in VO2 max.
• Statistically significant reductions were observed in BMI (12.04%) and PBF (19.95%) in the experimental group compared to the control group.
• Fitness scores improved significantly more in obese children undergoing intervention compared to normal children.

Conclusions:

• School-based PA interventions are beneficial for reducing childhood obesity.
• SBIs effectively increase PA and PF while decreasing BMI and PBF in obese children.
• Prioritizing PA within SBIs is crucial for maximizing positive health outcomes.