An innovative school-based intervention to promote healthy lifestyles (original) (raw)
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Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, 2015
BACKGROUND A school based health promotion intervention was performed with the aim of increasing physical activity and improving the dietary habits of primary school pupils, using integrated educational strategies involving schools, families, public bodies, sports associations and public health operators. METHODS The intervention concerned 11 classes during 3 school years from 2009-10 (231 third-year school children) to 2011-12 (234 fifth-year school children). Information was collected both before and after the intervention about the dietary habits and the physical activities practised by the children, using the questionnaires of the project !OKkio alla Salute! which were administered to both children and parents. At the same time anthropometric measurements were taken (height, weight, BMI) and motor skills were assessed using standardized tests: Sit & Reach, medicine-ball forward throw, standing long jump, 20 m running speed, and forward roll. At the end of the intervention 12 dif...
2011
Childhood obesity prevalence has been rising worldwide in the last few decades generating concerns about future public health in most developed countries. Latest children and adolescents dietary patterns changes in Southern European countries show that healthy Mediterranean lifestyles are being abandoned, especially by young adolescents. The purpose of the study was twofold: (1) to investigate the dietary patterns of first and second year middle school students within Milan and its province, (2) to evaluate the impact of the "Project AlimentAzione" nutrition education intervention on dietary behaviors in the intervention group compared to the control group. The "Project AlimentAzione" nutrition education intervention was a large study involving 5 middle schools and 5 to 7 classes in each school, resulting in 29 classes and 644 students. Daily student food and drink frequency was assessed through a 7-Day Food Record (7-DFR). To investigate the dietary patterns at baseline in the whole sample, intake frequencies by day and by meal episode were analyzed. The intervention consisted of three 2-hour workshops at school that addressed the following: (1) Bread and grains; (2) Fruit and vegetables; (3) Balancing energy intake and energy expenditure through a healthy diet. To study the impact of the nutrition education intervention, daily student food and drink frequency was assessed in the intervention group compared to the control group at school at three time points: Baseline (November 2008), Post-Intervention Assessment (March 2009) and Follow-up (November 2009). Foods and drinks intake frequency by day at baseline showed that the intake of Grains, grain products and substitutes, Fruit and vegetables, Fish, Legumes, Wholegrain and Water were lower than the recommended intakes for this age population and that the intake of Meat (especially Red meat and Preserved meat products), Sweets products and substitutes (especially Other packaged snacks) and Other beverages (especially Soft drink) were higher than maximum recommended amounts for this age population. The "Project AlimentAzione" nutrition intervention increased children's intakes of the categories of Fruit and vegetables, and Grains, grain products and tubers; and the individual items of Fish and Water. At follow-up, the results were less definitive: the individual items of Sandwiches, White meat, and Chocolate. This study investigated the dietary patterns of middle school students highlighting the different importance of meal and snacking patterns in middle school students and addressing future intervention strategies. Furthermore, the evaluation of the impact of the "Project AlimentAzione" nutrition education intervention showed its effectiveness in the promotion of healthier dietary behaviors among middle school students from Milan and its province. Future interventions among this age population can take advantage from these findings in the design and the implementation of this complex preventive strategy.
The school setting: an opportunity for the implementation of dietary guidelines
Public Health Nutrition, 2001
Nutrition, physical activity and health related promotion programmes in schools have developed into a mature field of research over the past decades. A number of success factors have been identified and evidence-based interventions have been performed. However, the school setting as an arena for evidence-based health promotion programmes, is still not used to its full potential. Schools provide an excellent arena for reaching large segments of the population, such as young people, school staff, families and the surrounding community. There is a need for an overview regarding the current status of nutrition, physical activity, related health as well as support structures in the EU member states. Based upon such an analysis, a consensus report should be written, pointing out the major problems at hand. Self-assessment tools for national as well as for school level should be produced, in order to guide changes, but also to include an element of continuous assessment of change, for evaluation purposes.
Motricidade, 2017
The early development of chronic non-communicable diseases has represented the greatest concern in the health prevention in all countries. The goal of this research was to investigate how a program to promote the health of school children through physical activity and healthy diet can be implemented aiming sustainability and continuity. The participants of this study were 1098 students, aged 6 to 10 years, of both sexes. The students belong to two schools: experimental school (ES-n=592)/control school (CSn=506). The project was implemented in 2013 (pre-test) and was followed until 2015 (post-test), with an intervention in 2014. The following variables were evaluated: nutritional status, level of blood glucose, cardiorespiratory endurance, fondness for exercises and 4 categories of food. The statistical analysis used was the Wilcoxon test (paired) and the Wilcoxon test (U of Mann Whitney) (independent samples), assuming a significance level of p<0.05. The results showed difference...
Sustainability and healthy habits in School: eating and physical activity
2020
Obesity in childhood has become a major global public health concern. Its considerable increase in the last decades took the World Health Organization (WHO) to regard this fact as one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century. Diagnosing, intervening and, above all, preventing obesity in the early stages of life becomes urgent and justified by the innumerable health complications found in adults. It´s expect and fundamental that schools provide practices in order to promote good health habits, given opportunity to the students keeping them for their future life according a lifelong education. This research was carried with 15 students, aged 6 to 7 years old. Their body mass index (BMI) was calculated, we held a questionnaire about their eating habits related to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and the significance of healthy eating and physical activity (PA) practicing was discussed. We measured their PA using accelerometers. Data were analyzed with specific software a...
Effect of a school-based intervention to promote healthy lifestyles in 7–11 year old children
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2009
Background: Physical inactivity is recognised as a public health concern within children and interventions to increase physical activity are needed. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of a school-based healthy lifestyles intervention on physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, body composition, knowledge, and psychological variables.
School-based intervention to promote healthy nutrition in Sousse, Tunisia
International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 2014
Introduction: Obesity among children is a major risk factor for chronic diseases. School interventions programs can represent a mean to implement healthy nutrition attitudes at early ages. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of a school intervention program to promote healthy nutrition among adolescents, in terms of knowledge, behaviors and intention. Methods: Quasi experimental study among urban students in Sousse, Tunisia with 2 groups, intervention and control. The intervention group had an interactive program integrated with school courses that promoted healthy nutrition habits. Both groups had a pre post evaluation. Results: 2200 students aged from 12 to 16 participated to the pre post evaluation. In the intervention group, there were significant changes form pre to post test in knowledge, intentions, and behaviors. In the control group, almost no significant changes were observed. Conclusion: School intervention programs can represent an interesting approach to promote h...
Saúde em Debate, 2022
The School Health Program (PSE) elects health promotion as a guideline for developing health actions at school. The aim is to identify and analyze the program's strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats to implement health-promoting actions that promote healthy eating habits. This review, of qualitative approach, comprises 29 articles of evaluation of the program published between 2015 and 2021. By the SWOT matrix, the analysis grouped the results into Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses, and Threats. Among the strengths, the proximity of the health and education sectors and the integration between the school, health unit, and family stood out; as opportunities, the possibility of intersectoral planning for health promotion was observed. The weaknesses refer to the intersectoral disarticulation, the lack of training, and the predominance of biomedical actions. The threats found demonstrate the centralization of power in health and the schoolchildren's approach to the health service without a broader understanding of health promotion, providing opportunities for medicalization. It is concluded that it is possible to develop intersectoral educational actions to promote healthy eating in basic services involving schoolchildren and their families. This practice should be prioritized in public agendas in order to enable its daily practice in services. KEYWORDS School health promotion. Health promotion. Intersectoral collaboration. Food and nutritional health promotion. RESUMO O Programa Saúde na Escola elege a promoção da saúde como diretriz para o desenvolvimento de ações de saúde na escola. O objetivo foi identificar e analisar fortalezas, oportunidades, fragilidades e ameaças ao programa para implementar ações de promoção da saúde que promovem hábitos alimentares saudáveis.
RevSALUS - Revista Científica da Rede Académica das Ciências da Saúde da Lusofonia
Introduction: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is widely known as a healthy eating pattern for preventing and reducing childhood obesity. School has been described as a privileged setting for modulating eating habits and health promotion. Objective: The study aimed to analyse the effects of a nutrition education programme on the nutritional status and MD adherence in children and adolescents from São Miguel Island, Azores. Methods: A total of 298 students from the 1st to the 3rd cycle were included. An anthropometric assessment (height, weight, and waist circumference) was performed, and participants completed a questionnaire which included KIDMED Index at baseline and after the intervention. This programme had grade-appropriate nutritional education activities, promoting the Mediterranean food pattern. Results: After the intervention, students with a higher education level showed improvements in nutritional status. We verified an increase in the obesity prevalence in 1st cycle students ...