Effectiveness of a population-scaled, school-based physical activity intervention for the prevention of childhood obesity

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Petra Jurić
• Author: Gregor Jurak
• Author: Shawnda A. Morrison
• Author: Gregor Starc
• Author: Maroje Sorić
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Kinesiology
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Kinesiology

Abstract (english)

Objective
The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a real-world, population-scaled, school-based physical activity (PA) intervention that provided two to three additional physical education lessons per week to children aged 6 to 14 years in Slovenia.

Methods
More than 34,000 participants from over 200 schools were compared with a similar number of nonparticipants from the same schools. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the effects of differing levels of exposure to the intervention (i.e., from 1–5 years) on BMI in children with normal weight, overweight, or obesity at baseline.

Results
BMI was lower in the intervention group, irrespective of participation duration or baseline weight status. The difference in BMI increased with the program duration, with maximal effects being seen after 3 to 4 years of participation, and was consistently larger for children with obesity (peaking at 1.4 kg/m2 [95% CI: 1.0–1.9] for girls with obesity and peaking at 0.9 kg/m2 [95% CI: 0.6–1.3] for boys with obesity). The program started to become effective at reversing obesity after 3 years, whereas the lowest numbers needed to treat (NNTs) were observed after 5 years (NNTs = 17 for girls and 12 for boys).

Conclusions
The population-scaled, school-based PA intervention was effective in preventing and treating obesity. The effects were the greatest in children initially presenting with obesity, such that the program was able to benefit children needing support the most.

• Keywords (english): adolescent; age; Article; body mass; body weight; child; child health care; childhood obesity; clinical effectiveness; comparative study; controlled study; female; gender; health promotion; human; male; numbers needed to treat; physical activity; physical education; population research; school based physical activity intervention; school health service; Slovenia; treatment duration
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review - international
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Obesity
• Numbering: vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 811-822
• p-ISSN: 1930-7381
• e-ISSN: 1930-739X
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23695
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:117:802841
• Publication: 2023-02-22
• Document URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.23695
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2023-06-06 07:01:33