School-Based Obesity Intervention Associated with Three Year Decrease in Student Weight Status in a Low-Income School District.

Abstract

School-based interventions may be a way to address increasing rates of childhood obesity. Following an obesity intervention implemented by a low-income school district we found evidence of weight status change among district students. The school district served 5,000 children in Western New York at that time and approximately 4,000 students were in the target group (grades 3-12). The district allocated federal grant funds to implement changes to physical education equipment and curriculum, health education curriculum, and school food and to offer afterschool access to equipment and activities. As part of the grant reporting requirements, school staff measured student height and weight twice yearly for three years. We were subcontracted as evaluators for this grant and district staff shared this de-identified data with us for assistance with grant reporting. We obtained IRB approval from SUNY at Buffalo for analysis and publication of the data. Data analysis involved longitudinal descriptive and inferential (paired-samples t tests, Chi square tests) statistical analyses of Body Mass Index (BMI) percentiles of students with baseline and endpoint height and weight measurements (n = 2,259). Overall the mean BMI percentile of students decreased significantly from 70.4 to 65.7% (p < 0.001). This exceeds the change in BMI percentile seen at the national level. There was a significant decrease in the proportion of students categorized as overweight or obese (p < 0.001). Conclusions are limited due to the lack of a control population however they indicate that a three year multilevel school-based intervention involving physical activity and nutritional changes was correlated with improved weight status among participating school children.