Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to measure the effectiveness of a school-based health promotion program on obesity and related behavioral measures. Methods: 555 teenage girls(389 Exp v. 166 Con) and 324 teenage boys (235 Exp v. 89 Con) were compared before and after 12 weeks of health promotion intervention. Measurements included body mass index(BMI) from height and weight, %body fat(BF) from skinfolds, systolic(Sp) and diastolic(Dp) blood pressure at rest, leisure physical activity(PA), cholesterol (Ch), heart health knowledge(HK), estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2) and dietary habits. Pre-to post within gender differences between experimental and control subjects were evaluated by independent t-tests and chi square analysis. The 0.05 level of significance was used throughout. Additional comparisons were made in the most obese girls and boys (> 75th percentile of BF and BMI). Experimental boys and girls (PATH) participated in an integrated program of exercise, health education and behavior modification taught as a part of the high school physical education curriculum. Control girls and boys were in traditional physical education classes such as volleyball and basketball. Results: Girls participating in PATH made significant improvements in subscapular (15.7mm ± 9 v. 14.2 ± 7), suprailiac (19.4mm ± 8 v. 17.7 ± 7) and total (52mm ± 21 v. 48 ± 18) skinfolds, BF (30% ± 5 v. 28 ± 5), Sp(111mmHg ± 9 v. 105 ± 8), Dp(71mmHg ± 7 v.68 ± 7), HK(52% correct responses ± 16 v.56 ± 20), and the number eating breakfast. The most obese girls in PATH also showed significant improvement in VO2 (35mlO2.kg.min ± 3 v. 37 ± 4), decreased snacking between meals and increased in numbers eating breakfast. Significant improvements in PATH boys included decreased Dp(72mmHg ± 9 v. 70 ± 7), reduced intake of foods high in fat, salt and sugar(48 times/wk ± 20 v. 46 ± 18), and improved HK(47% correct responses ± 16 v. 53 ± 18). The most obese PATH boys significantly increased PA(4.8 times/wk of activity > 15 min ± 3 v.6.3 ± 3), and decreased intake of dietary fat(34 times/wk ± 15 v. 32 ± 13). Conclusions: Teenage girls and boys in PATH demonstrated significantly greater improvements in obesity and related health measures compared with those in traditional physical education classes. More significant improvements were observed in girls than boys and in those who were most obese at entrance to the program.
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