Effectiveness of School-Based Obesity Prevention Programs
Author Information
Author(s): Hassan Mohamed A., McDonough Daniel J., Ryu Suryeon, Zhou Wanjiang, Oginni John, Gao Zan
Hypothesis
What is the relative effectiveness of various school-based obesity prevention initiatives in improving body mass index (BMI) among children and adolescents?
Conclusion
School-based interventions focusing on physical activity alone or multiple components are effective in reducing BMI and BMIz in children and adolescents.
Supporting Evidence
- Physical activity only interventions were the most effective for reducing BMI.
- Multiple-component interventions were effective for improving BMIz.
- Only one intervention showed statistically significant differences compared to the control group.
Takeaway
This study found that programs in schools that get kids moving or combine different healthy habits can help them maintain a healthy weight.
Methodology
The study synthesized data from 53 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using network meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of different school-based obesity prevention programs.
Potential Biases
High risk of bias in some studies regarding allocation concealment and blinding.
Limitations
Some studies had a high risk of bias, and the definitions of 'multiple components' varied across studies.
Participant Demographics
Participants were children and adolescents aged 6-12 years, with a mean age of 9.40 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.02 for PA only; 0.03 for multiple components
Confidence Interval
BMI: −0.42, 95% CrI: −0.79, −0.07; BMIz: −0.08, 95% CrI: −0.16, −0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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