Effect of health promotion program with collaborative approach on physical activity of overweight school-age girls

Abstract

Background: Nowadays, due to ineffectiveness of interventions in the prevention of obesity in school-age children, collaborative approach in order to prevent and control the obesity seems necessary. Aim: to assess the impact of health promotion programs with collaborative approach on physical activity levels of overweight school-age girls. Methods: This quasi-experimental and pretest/post-test study was conducted among 80 overweight female students which were randomly selected. Data were collected via activity checklist. In the test groups, health promotion programs were administered in 3 stages of assessment, supportive planning and evaluation in 6 to 8 one-hour sessions for four consecutive weeks (2 sessions per week for students, parents and teachers), activities suitable with children’s condition 3 sessions per week, and evaluation for 3 months. Level of children's activity in both groups were evaluated by the child and parents before and 3 months after intervention and analyzed by SPSS software version 16, independent and paired t-tests, and chi-square. Results: Before the intervention, the two groups were similar in terms of age, place of birth, history of disease, nutrition, parental age, education, occupation and income, and duration of exercise. After the intervention, both groups had significant differences in duration of exercise (P<0.001). Conclusion: Health promotion programs with collaboration of children, parents and teachers could increase exercise duration in overweight children.