Medium-term evaluation of an educational intervention on dietary and physical exercise habits in schoolchildren: The Avall 2 study

Abstract

Abstract Objective To assess whether the benefits seen in nutrition, physical activity and body mass index were maintained at 2 years of completion of the educational intervention. Material and methods An experimental, longitudinal, 4-year, two-arm, parallel study with cluster randomization to assess an intervention program aimed at children in their first year of primary schooling attending schools in the city of Granollers. Intervention consisted of promoting healthy dietary habits and increasing physical activity through the educational pedagogy Investigation, Vision, Action and Change (IVAC), applied over 2 school years (2006–2008). Weight and height of each child were measured in situ, and families self-completed a physical activity survey and the Krece Plus quick test in 2006, 2008, and 2010. Results A greater increase in body mass index was seen in 2010 in children from the control group (2.84 ± 0.22 vs 1.96 ± 0.163 kg/m2, Reduction in body mass index increase was maintained 2 years after completion of educational intervention regardless of sex, origin, maternal obesity, and educational level of parents. Conclusions These results confirm that school-based interventions may help contain the current increase in childhood obesity.