Educational software and improvement of first grade school students' knowledge about prevention of overweight and obesity.

Recently, overweight and obesity among adolescents have become a growing concern, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of both preventive and effective management strategies. The present study aimed to assess knowledge and practices on the prevention of overweight and obesity among secondary school adolescents in Morogoro Municipality. An institutional‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted from April to May 2023 among 253 randomly selected students studying in Form 1, Form 2, and 3 classes. Data were collected through face‐to‐face interviews using a semi‐structured questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 25 was used for descriptive statistics to describe the study variables and logistic regression to identify factors associated with knowledge and practices on prevention of overweight and obesity. Among 253 respondents, 129 (51.0%) were females. Approximately 30% (n = 75) of the students mentioned vegetables and fruits as healthy foods, while 20.6% (n = 57) of the students were not aware of unhealthy foods. Despite the small number of students knowing that fruits and vegetables are healthy, only 20.2% (n = 51) and 43.5% (n = 110) reported consuming them 7 days a week, respectively. Most of the participants (82.2%, n = 208) were aware of the causes of overweight and obesity, and increasing physical activity (51.8%, n = 131) was the most cited preventive measure. Being in a higher level of study, that is, Form 2 (AOR 9.33, 95% CI: 2.71–32.10) and Form 3 (AOR 5.02, 95% CI: 1.38–18.25) were significantly associated with increased knowledge and practices on prevention of overweight and obesity. Conclusively, knowledge and practices regarding the prevention of obesity and overweight among secondary school adolescents vary significantly. While some aspects showed good knowledge and practices, others were less understood and practiced. This suggests a need for implementing a comprehensive community‐based health education program focusing on adolescents as a window of opportunity for current and future prevention of overweight, obesity, and associated comorbidities.

Background: Overweight and obesity are among the so-called epidemics of the 21st century. An increasing number of children and youth are also affected by them. According to the forecasts of the “Institute of Mother and Child”, over the next decade each year the number of overweight children will increase by 400 thousand, including approximately 80 thousand obese children. Overweight and obesity are particularly dangerous for children at preschool and school age as it increases the risk of numerous diseases as well as physical and emotional problems.Objective: The objective of this article is to present implementation of health policy programs concerning prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity among children and youth between 2009-2015 by local government units.Methods: The study was conducted based on desk research. Databases of the Ministry of Health prepared by each voivodeship containing information about implemented health policy programs with regards to overweight and obesity among children and youth were used.Results: Between 2009-2015, local government units at all levels implemented 215 health policy programs concerning overweight and obesity among children and youth. Most programs were implemented by municipalities and counties. The costs incurred by counties and voivodeships were significantly higher than costs incurred by municipalities. Most programs were implemented in the West Pomeranian, Silesian and Masovian Voivodeships. The most common activities included consultations with a dietician, group trainings for children within school classes and various competitions concerning healthy diet and physical activity. The Podlaskie and Świetokrzyskie Voivodeships implemented the smallest number of programs.Conclusion: Programs implemented by local government units were poorly adjusted to the actual health needs of children and youth in terms of prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity. Local government units indicated insufficient engagement in prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity among children and youth. Programs implemented by local government units is have not any casual relationship on obesity prevalence. An insufficient number of program participants were observed. It demonstrates the need to evaluate the activities aimed at fighting overweight and obesity among children and youth. The number of health policy programs should be increased and the forms of program implementation should be more attractive-this will allow more people to be included in the activities.

SummaryThe global obesity epidemic is associated with a sedentary lifestyle and diets rich in high-fat, high-energy foods. The potential role of fruit in preventing overweight and obesity is related to their relatively low energy density, high content of dietary fibre, and associated increasing satiety effect. The physical disruption of fruit is of considerable importance for satiety, as shown in studies in which fruit juices were less satisfying compared to sugar-equivalent intakes of purées and whole fruits. The potential role of fruit in the prevention of overweight and obesity may be connected to the dietary pattern of fruit intake, and with the possibility that fruit intake may substitute for other, more energy-dense foods. The majority of human prospective cohort studies in adults suggest a preventive effect of increased fruit intake on body weight gain; whereas a few studies have suggested the opposite, in the case of fruit juices. Prospective studies on children are few and inconclusive, but suggest associations between fruit intake and body weight that are related to the initial nutritional status. In behavioural intervention studies, subjects are often advised to undergo several changes towards a healthy diet and lifestyle, making it impossible to quantify the specific effect of fruit intake on body weight. In the few available intervention studies in adults, the study period was often too short to allow measures of body weight changes, and studies on overweight or obese subjects may not apply to subjects of normal weight. Intervention studies targeted at school children showed that such schemes can be effective in increasing fruit intake, but a convincing role for increased fruit intake in the prevention of overweight and obesity in children still needs to be established. The present evidence suggests that fruit consumption has a potential role in the prevention of overweight and obesity.

This article reports on a systematic review of articles on food labeling and the prevention of obesity and overweight, in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library Plus, Food Science and Technology Abstracts, LILACS, and CINAHL databases. The DeCS/MeSH descriptors were obesity and food labeling. 207 articles were retrieved. Using inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 articles were selected: 11 were on food labeling and its impact on final food product consumption; 2 were on fast food establishments; 1 on sensory attributes as compared to health recommendations; and 2 on follow-up of interventions. Labeling has a positive effect on final food product consumption, in contrast with fast food restaurants. Sensory attributes were more effective than recommendations on the labels. Follow-up of interventions confirmed the long-term effect of the target interventions.

Enterobiasis is a disease caused by the parasitic worm Enterobius vermicularis. This disease often occurs in children aged 5-14 years. Enterobiasis is a disease that can cause symptoms, one of which is itching in the perianal area. This can cause sleep disorders so that a child's concentration can be disturbed and of course this will affect the child's learning ability, as well as impacting the quality of a generation. This study aims to determine the effect of health education on the level of knowledge of elementary school students in grades 4-6 at SDN Kaliasin 1 Surabaya regarding the prevention of enterobiasis. This research is an observational analytical study with a cross sectional design and uses primary data in the form of a questionnaire. The method used in this research is a quantitative method. The research results showed that before health education, respondents with a good level of knowledge were 24.7%, 48.1% were adequate, and 27.2% were poor, whereas after health education the results obtained were respondents with a good level of knowledge of 64.2%, 24.7% sufficient, and less by 11.1%. Based on the results of the paired Wilcoxon test, the p value was 0.000, which means the p value <0.005, so it can be concluded that there is an influence of health education on the level of knowledge of elementary school students in grades 4-6 at SDN Kaliasin 1 Surabaya on the prevention of enterobiasis.

Obesity in children and adolescents worldwide: current views and future directions--Working Group Report of the First World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.

In the early years of life, influential attributes are formed and may be difficult to change later in life. Early childhood is now recognised as a key target in the prevention of overweight and obesity, and the knowledge that children gain at this time about food and its health benefits may have an important influence on their dietary choices and preferences in later life. Therefore, an activity was designed using age-appropriate methods to assess nutrition knowledge of young children. The Healthy Food Knowledge Activity was developed using a list of thirty healthy and unhealthy foods and drinks generated from the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. The activity was conducted with individual children from reception classes of South Australian schools. Children aged 5-6 years undertook the activity in a pilot study (n 13) and in the main study (n 192). Pilot data indicated good test-retest reliability of the activity (r = 0·84, P < 0·01). In the main study, there was a good distribution of scores with acceptable skewness and kurtosis statistics. A breakdown of responses indicated good face validity, with more obvious foods being more correctly classified. Children as young as 5-6 years of age can correctly identify healthy foods, and this can be measured objectively. This activity also provides interesting insights regarding misconceptions about foods that could be attributed to influences such as media advertising and that can be addressed by educators of this age group.

BackgroundGreater understanding about the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity in preschool children within public health care is needed. This study assessed the impact of The First Steps module in routine primary health care including mapping of height/weight and diet followed by parental counselling of healthy habits on overweight and obesity in children aged 2 to 7 years. Further, we explored the experiences of public health nurses (PHNs) with the module.MethodsBody weight and height obtained in 2014 and 2016 were extracted retrospectively for 676 children from the health records of children at 2, 4, or 6 years of age in five child health centers in Southern Norway. Sex- and age-adjusted body mass index (BMI) z-scores and weight status classifications were calculated according to the International Obesity Task Force reference values. Impact was assessed as change in mean BMI z-scores for children with under-, normal-, and overweight, respectively, and as proportion of children with overweight and obesity. In focus groups, PHNs described their experiences with the practical application of the module. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis.ResultsMean BMI z-scores decreased from 2014 to 2016 in overweight children (− 0.26) and increased in children with under- (0.63) and normal weight (0.06), whereas the proportion of children with overweight and obesity was stable. PHNs believed that the module provides them with new tools that are useful for addressing the intricacies of childhood obesity. They described counseling sessions with families as “moving upstream in a river” and that overweight and obesity may be one of many complex challenges for these families.ConclusionsMean BMI z-score decreased in children with overweight during the 2 years after initiation of The First Steps module. PHNs considered the module as useful for addressing children’s overweight and obesity, which was perceived as one of several complex challenges for most of these families. Specialist and evidence-based support is needed to address overweight and obesity in children in primary care. Further research should focus on integrating the issues relating to overweight and obesity within other family problems.

The rapid increase in overweight and obesity in children is a global public health problem. Interventions to reduce the prevalence of obesity before puberty are considered to be the most effective, but the results of trials are not consistent enough. We performed a meta-analysis of the efficacy of interventions to prevent or correct overweight and obesity in pre-pubertal children. Thirty-one Cochrane systematic reviews were analyzed, the results of 10 RCTs and two prospective comparative studies were extracted. All trials had an moderate or high risk of bias. According to the results of meta-analyzes, the prevention of overweight and obesity through recommendations of lifestyle modification is effective, the difference in a BMI decrease is -0.19, 95% CI [-0.35; -0.03], compared with the absence of intervention, in children 78 years old if applied within 24 years, but not within one year or less. The effect of non-drug interventions in children with overweight or obesity was not revealed.

Introduction: Adolescent obesity is a major public health challenge and it is a growing epidemic. Change in diet and physical inactivity are the key factors affecting weight among adolescents. Due to this, the prevalence of non communicable diseases and their risk factors are alarmingly high among them. To tackle this issue, early identification and effective health promotion strategies at a young age need to be adopted. Hence, there is a need for understanding the current trend in overweight and obesity among growing adolescents. Aim: To identify the lifestyle practices and to determine knowledge on prevention and control of overweight and obesity among overweight and obese adolescents in selected urban high schools at Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada (D.K.), India. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescents at selected urban high schools of Mangaluru, D K, India. A sample of 360 adolescents were screened to identify the occurrence of overweight and obesity. Body Mass Index (BMI) was computed using the formula, BMI=weight (Kg)/ height (m2). A total of 65 overweight and obese adolescents were assessed for lifestyle practices and level of knowledge on prevention and control of overweight and obesity. Demographic proforma, a structured knowledge questionnaire, and a self-report lifestyle practice rating scale were used to collect data. Results: The occurrence of overweight and obesity among adolescents was 18%. According to their BMI status, 9.7% of adolescents were overweight and 8.3% of them were obese. Self- reported lifestyle practice scores depicted that most (86.2%) of the overweight and obese adolescents follow unhealthy lifestyle practices. Majority (66.1%) of the adolescents had only average knowledge on prevention and control of overweight and obesity. Conclusion: Though a maximum number of adolescents had average knowledge on prevention and control of overweight and obesity, unhealthy lifestyle practices are major risk factors for overweight and obesity among growing adolescents. Overweight and obese adolescents should strictly follow healthy lifestyle practices.

BackgroundThis study was done as part of a larger study that aims to identify the most impactful and cost-effective strategies for the prevention and control of overweight and obesity in Kenya. Our objective was to involve stakeholders in the identification of the strategies that would be included in our larger study. The results from the stakeholder engagement are analyzed and reported in this paper.DesignThis was a qualitative study. A one-day stakeholder workshop that followed a deliberative dialogue process was conducted.ParticipantsA sample of stakeholders who participate in the national level policymaking process for health in Kenya.Outcome measureStrategies for the prevention and control of overweight and obesity in Kenya.ResultsOut of the twenty-three stakeholders who confirmed attendance, fifteen participants attended the one-day workshop. The stakeholders identified a total of 24 strategies for the prevention and control of overweight and obesity in Kenya. From the ranking process carried out the top six strategies identified were: a research-based strategy for the identification of the nutritional value of indigenous foods, implementation of health promotion strategies that focus on the creation of healthy environments, physical activity behavior such as gym attendance, jogging, walking, and running at the individual level, implementation of school curricula on nutrition and health promotion, integration of physical education into the new Competency-Based Education policy, and policies that increase use of public transport.ConclusionThe stakeholders identified and ranked strategies for the prevention and control of overweight and obesity in Kenya. This informs future overweight and obesity prevention research and policy in Kenya and similar settings.

BackgroundEntertainment media content is often mentioned as one of the roots of children’s unhealthy food consumption. This might be due to the high quantity of unhealthy foods presented in children’s media environments. However, less is known about the role of the centrality of food placement, that is, whether foods are interacted with, consumed, verbally mentioned, or appear unobtrusively. We also lack longitudinal research measuring both children’s unhealthy and healthy food consumption behaviors as outcomes.ObjectiveThe aim is to connect content analytical data based on children’s actual media diet with panel data in order to explain children’s food preferences. Moreover, this study not only focuses on the amount of healthy and unhealthy foods children are exposed to, but also on how these foods are presented (ie, centrally or not). Furthermore, we looked at the question of how parental coviewing can diminish (or enhance) the effects of unhealthy (or healthy) food depictions, and we measured healthy and unhealthy consumption as dependent variables.MethodsWe conducted a 2-wave panel study with children and one of their parents (of 2250 parents contacted, 829 responded, for a response rate of 36.84%; 648 valid cases, ie, parent-child pairs, were used for analysis), with 6 months between the 2 panel waves. We linked the 2-wave panel data for the children and their parents to content analytical data for movies (n=113) and TV series (n=134; 3 randomly chosen episodes per TV series were used) that children were exposed to over the course of 6 months.ResultsThere was no significant relationship between exposure to unhealthy food presentation and unhealthy (b=0.008; P=.07) or healthy (b=−0.003; P=.57) food consumption over time. Also, healthy food presentation was unrelated to unhealthy (b=0.009; P=.18) or healthy (b=0.000; P=.99) food consumption over time. However, there was a significant, positive interaction between unhealthy food presentation and presentation centrality on unhealthy food consumption (b=0.000; P=.03), suggesting that the effects of unhealthy food presentation rise with increasing levels of centrality. There was no interaction between unhealthy food presentation and presentation centrality on the consumption of healthy foods (b=0.000; P=.10). Also, exposure to healthy food presentation interacted with centrality (b=−0.001; P=.003). That is, when a healthy product was presented at maximum centrality, it led to less unhealthy food consumption in children. Coviewing did not interact with exposure to unhealthy foods when explaining unhealthy (b=0.003; P=.08) or healthy (b=−0.001; P=.70) food consumption.ConclusionsWe conclude that simply presenting more healthy foods is not sufficient to combat children’s unhealthy food preferences. Further regulations may be necessary with respect to representations of unhealthy foods in children’s media.

Prevention of overweight and obesity undertaken by local government units in Poland

Background: In recent decades, many countries of the WHO European Region experienced an increase in overweight and obesity indicators. In 46 countries of the Region, more than 50% of adults are overweight or obese. In Poland in 2009, over 61% of men and almost 45% of women weighed too much, with over 62% and almost 46%, respectively, at the end of 2014. Objective: The objective of the studies described is to present developed and implemented health policy programmes concerning prevention of overweight and obesity in Poland between 2009 and 2014 financed by local government units. Methods: Data from annual reports submitted to the Minister of Health about health policy programmes implemented by local government units was used in the study. Results: In 2009-2014, local government units of all levels completed 279 programmes. The most programmes were completed by municipalities, followed by counties. The costs incurred by voivodeships to implement programmes were significantly larger than those incurred by municipalities and counties. The most programmes were completed in the Zachodniopomorskie and Mazowieckie voivodeships, whereas the fewest were completed in the Lubuskie and Podlaskie voivodeships. Conclusion: There was only a limited involvement of local government units in fighting overweight and obesity. In some voivodeships the actual health needs of local communities regarding the prevention of overweight and obesity had not been given due consideration. It is necessary for local government units to adopt and maintain measures aimed at fighting overweight and obesity by increasing the number of health policy programmes and including a larger population within the programmes.

Obesity is considered a major public health issue in most developed countries nowadays. This paper provides an overview of current population data available in Spain and the approach to develop preventive strategies in the country. Review of population data available is based on individually measured weight and height as well as determinants. On this basis, the approach used in the country to develop preventive strategies is discussed. According to the DORICA study, the prevalence of obesity (BMI >or=30 kg m-2) is 15.5% in Spanish adults aged 25-60 years (13.2% in men and 17.5% in women). Obesity rates are higher among women aged 45 years and older, low social class, living in semi-urban places. Population estimates for the prevalence of obesity in Spanish children and young people based on the enKid study are 13.9% for the whole group. In this study, overweight and obesity is related to absence of breastfeeding, low consumption of fruit and vegetables, high consumption of cakes, buns, softdrinks and butchery products, low physical activity levels and a positive association with time spent watching TV. In 2005, the Spanish Ministry of Health jointly with the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition launched the multifaceted NAOS strategy for nutrition, physical activity and the prevention of obesity. The important role of the family and the school setting as well as the responsibility of the Health Administration and Pediatric Care in the prevention of obesity is highlighted in the document. The need for environmental actions is recognised. The PERSEO programme, a multicomponent school-based intervention project is part of the strategy currently in place. Obesity is a public health issue in Spain. A national multifaceted strategy was launched to counteract the problem. Environmental and policy actions are a priority. Young children and their families are among the main target groups.