Early School-Based Health Promotion Intervention Beneficial
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, July 29, 2024 -- Elementary school interventions may be more effective for abdominal adiposity when started early, according to a study published in the Aug. 6 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Gloria Santos-Beneit, Ph.D., from the Foundation for Science, Health and Education in Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues examined the effect of time-varying exposures to a multicomponent school-based health promotion intervention (SI! Program) on adiposity markers. Forty-eight schools were cluster randomized to receive the SI! Program through elementary grades (E) 1 to 6 (12 schools; 459 children), E1 to 3 (12 schools; 513 children), or E4 to 6 (12 schools; 419 children), or to receive the standard curriculum (12 schools; 379 children [control]).
The researchers found that children who had the intervention showed significantly lower increases at three-year follow-up than controls in z-scores for body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and waist circumference (WC) (−0.09, −0.19 and −0.19, respectively). The beneficial trend in z scores for WC and WHtR was maintained at six-year follow-up in the E1-6 and E1-3 groups (−0.19 and −0.22, respectively, versus controls). For the change in knowledge-attitudes-habits score, there were no significant between-group differences observed.
"The SI! Program for Elementary Schools trial showed a beneficial effect on child abdominal adiposity markers (WC and WHtR) and a more modest effect on excess weight (BMI)," the authors write. "The ideal timing to achieve sustained positive effects in school-based health promotion initiatives may depend on multiple factors, such as the duration and intensity of the intervention, and particularly the age of the children."
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2024
Read this next
ENDO: Superior Weight Loss Seen With Tirzepatide and Menopausal Hormone Therapy Use
TUESDAY, July 15, 2025 -- In postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity receiving tirzepatide, use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is associated with superior weight loss...
ENDO: Sweeteners, Genetic Predisposition Independently Linked to Early Puberty
TUESDAY, July 15, 2025 -- Sweetener consumption and genetic predisposition are independently associated with the risk for central precocious puberty (CPP), according to a study...
Diagnostic Model Based on Delayed Post-Gadolinium Enhancement MRI Accurate for Meniere Disease
TUESDAY, July 15, 2025 -- A diagnostic model based on delayed post-gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (DEMRI) improves the accuracy of Meniere disease (MD)...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.