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- Title
Obesity Prevention in Young Schoolchildren: Results of a Pilot Study.
- Authors
Manger, William M.; Manger, Lynn S.; Minno, Alexander M.; Killmeyer, Mike; Holzman, Robert S.; Schullinger, John N.; Roccella, Edward J.
- Abstract
BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity occur in 17% of children in the United States. Complications of excess weight in Americans cause 216,000 to 300,000 deaths yearly and cost $147 billion. METHODS: A convenience sample of 14 intervention and 15 control schools in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh was used. A program to improve lifestyle (Values Initiative Teaching About Lifestyle [ VITAL®]), was implemented in young children to encourage healthy eating and appropriate physical activity. Students had annual evaluations of height and weight over a 2-year period, and teachers participating in VITAL completed questionnaires regarding the program. Changes in age- and sex-adjusted body mass index (BMI) percentiles in control and intervention groups were compared using linear mixed models regression. RESULTS: VITAL was highly rated by teachers and was popular with children. Over the 2-year period, adjusted mean BMI percentiles declined from 66.1 to 65.0 in control children and from 62.8 to 58.9 in intervention children. The rates of change in the 2 groups were significantly different (p = .015). CONCLUSION: VITAL improves lifestyle of young schoolchildren, is inexpensive, easy to implement, and should be expanded to improve health and reduce healthcare's financial burden.
- Subjects
NEW York (State); PREVENTION of obesity; ANTHROPOMETRY; CHI-squared test; CLINICAL trials; FOOD habits; HEALTH promotion; QUESTIONNAIRES; REGRESSION analysis; STATISTICAL sampling; STATISTICS; STUDENT health; PILOT projects; DATA analysis; HUMAN services programs; PHYSICAL activity; COLLEGE teacher attitudes; DATA analysis software; CHILDREN
- Publication
Journal of School Health, 2012, Vol 82, Issue 10, p462
- ISSN
0022-4391
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1746-1561.2012.00723.x