Effect of an obesity prevention program focused on motivating environments in childhood: a school-based prospective study

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity Vol. 41; no. 7; pp. 1027 - 1034
• Main Authors: Yang, Y, Kang, B, Lee, E Y, Yang, H K, Kim, H-S, Lim, S-Y, Lee, J-H, Lee, S-S, Suh, B-K, Yoon, K-H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.07.2017; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/700/1720; 692/700/2817; Adolescent; Blood pressure; Body fat; Body mass; Body Mass Index; Body size; Body weight; Care and treatment; Child; Childhood obesity; Children; Confidence intervals; Demographic aspects; Educational aspects; Elementary school students; Epidemiology; Exercise; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Halls; Health aspects; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health promotion; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Healthy Diet; Humans; Incidence; Internal Medicine; Intervention; IP (Internet Protocol); Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Motivation; Muscles; Obesity; Obesity in children; original-article; Overweight; Parents; Pediatric Obesity - epidemiology; Pediatric Obesity - prevention & control; Physical fitness; Physiological aspects; Prevention; Prevention programs; Program Evaluation; Prospective Studies; Public Health; Reduction; Remission; Republic of Korea; School Health Services; Schools; Social aspects; Social Environment; South Korea; Students; Students - psychology; Subgroups; Summer; Surveys and Questionnaires; Television; Weight Loss - physiology; Weight reduction; Weight Reduction Programs - methods; Wellness programs; South Korea
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2017.47

Background/Objectives: There has been an increasing global recognition of the need for effective strategies to prevent and control childhood obesity. In this study, we aimed to identify the effectiveness of an obesity prevention program focused on motivating environments in school. Subjects/Methods: In this school-based, prospective, quasi-experimental study, we enrolled three elementary (fourth graders) and two middle (seventh graders) schools located in Chungju, Korea. We assigned three of the schools to the intervention group and two schools to the control group. The intervention group received 1 year of environmental intervention. Diet- and exercise-related educational video content was provided by internet protocol television services during rest time, and various design materials were painted along the school staircase and hallway to encourage physical activities. Overweight and obese students were recommended to join the summer vacation obesity care program. Results: The final number of total participants was 768 (control 350 and intervention 418). After 1 year of follow-up, there was no significant difference in the overweight/obesity incidence rates and remission rates between the two groups. However, the intervention group showed a greater decrease in the body mass index (BMI) z -score (−0.11 (95% confidence interval (CI) −0.16 to −0.06), P <0.001), increase in height (1.1 cm (95% CI 0.8 to 1.4), P <0.001), reduction of body fat, and increase in muscle mass compared with the control group. In addition, blood pressure (BP) was significantly reduced, and significant improvement in physical fitness followed. In subgroup analysis, students of normal weight, boys and younger participants showed the most beneficial results in weight-related outcomes. In addition, the BP reduction was more pronounced in the higher BMI group, boys and older children. Conclusions: A simple environmental intervention could effectively influence children. By adding to previously studied strategies, we can develop a more effective obesity prevention program for children.