Related Experiment Videos
Changes in nutrient intakes of elementary school children following a school-based intervention: results from the
L A Lytle1, E J Stone, M Z Nichaman
1Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55454, USA.
Insights
The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) intervention successfully reduced total and saturated fat intake in elementary students. This school-based approach proved effective across diverse groups, demonstrating feasibility for public health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Cardiovascular Health Intervention
- Public Health Strategies
Background:
- Childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors are significant public health concerns.
- Early intervention is crucial for establishing lifelong healthy eating habits.
- The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) aimed to address these issues in elementary-age children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate changes in nutrient intake among children participating in the CATCH program.
- To compare nutrient intake changes between intervention and control groups.
- To analyze differences in outcomes based on sex, ethnicity, and study site.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 24-hour dietary recalls from a subsample (n=1,182) at baseline (3rd grade) and follow-up (5th grade).
- Assessed changes in total energy, dietary cholesterol, fiber, and macronutrient proportions.
- Employed mixed-model analysis of variance to compare nutrient intake changes.
Main Results:
- Intervention schools showed significant reductions in total energy and proportion of energy from total fat and saturated fat.
- Average total fat intake decreased from 32.7% to 30.3%; saturated fat from 12.8% to 11.4%.
- No significant intervention effects were observed based on ethnicity, sex, or study site.
Conclusions:
- School-based interventions can effectively improve children's dietary fat intake, supporting cardiovascular health.
- The CATCH intervention demonstrated feasibility and effectiveness across diverse populations (ethnicities, sexes) and geographic locations.
- Population-based strategies are viable for reducing pediatric cardiovascular risk factors.
Background:
Twenty-four-hour recalls were used to assess the change in nutrient intake among elementary-age school children exposed to the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH). The purpose of this paper is to compare changes in nutrient intakes between treatment groups, sexes, ethnic groups, and the four CATCH sites.
Methods:
Twenty-four-hour recalls were administered to a subsample of the CATCH cohort at baseline in third grade and following the intervention in fifth grade (n = 1,182). Changes in nutrient levels for total energy, dietary cholesterol, and dietary fiber and changes in the proportion of energy from fat, protein, carbohydrate, and fatty acids were studied looking at differences by treatment group, sex, ethnicity, and site. Mixed-model analysis of variance was used to examine the change in nutrient intake, defined as intake at follow-up minus intake at baseline.
Results:
Students in the intervention schools showed statistically significant differences in the changes in total energy and proportion of energy from total fat, saturated fat, protein, and monounsaturated fat compared with students in the control group. Students in the intervention group decreased their total fat intake from 32.7% of energy to 30.3% of energy and saturated fat from 12.8% of energy to 11.4% of energy. There were no significant differences in intervention effects by ethnic group, sex, or site. Differences in nutrient change between the school-only and the school-plus-family intervention groups were nonsignificant.
Conclusion:
The results show that a school-based intervention can positively influence children's intakes of total fat and saturated fat, suggesting that population-based approaches for reducing cardiovascular risk factors in children are feasible and effective. The results are also important in showing that the intervention was effective in Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic students, in boys and girls, and across four regions of the United States.