Children
Child rights action with informed and engaged societies
Children
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
Time to read
1 minute
Print
a- a+
Published 13 years ago
Last updated 3 years ago
Read so far

Two-year controlled effectiveness trial of a school-based intervention to prevent obesity in Chilean children

0 comments

Kain, J., B. Leyton, et al. (2009). "Two-year controlled effectiveness trial of a school-based intervention to prevent obesity in Chilean children." Public Health Nutrition 12(9): 1451-1461.

Objective: Obesity prevalence among Chilean children is 19.4 %. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a school-based obesity prevention programme.

Design: Non-randomized controlled study. The intervention included activities in nutrition and physical activity, fully applied the first year and partially in the second one. Primary outcomes were BMI Z-score (BMIZ) and obesity prevalence; secondary outcomes were waist circumference and triceps skinfold thickness. Time effects were assessed by changes in BMI-related variables by gender and period (ANOVA and Tukey test), while intervention effects were determined by comparing changes in (i) obesity prevalence by gender and period (PROC GENMOD) and (ii) BMIZ according gender, age and period (PROC MIXED).

Setting: Primary schools in the Chilean cities of Casablanca (intervention group) and Quillota (control group).

Subjects: One thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine children from three schools (intervention group) and 671 from one school (control group).

Results: Over the two years, obesity prevalence and BMIZ declined significantly in the intervention group; from 17.0 % to 12.3 % and 14.1 % to 10.3 % in boys and girls, respectively, and from 0.62 to 0.53 and 0.64 to 0.58, respectively. In the control group, obesity remained stable at about 21 % and 15 %, while BMIZ increased significantly in the second year. BMIZ declined in both genders and all age categories in the intervention group during the first year (significant only in younger boys). No changes occurred during the summer, while during the second year, BMIZ increased in boys and girls from both groups (significant only in the younger control boys). Obesity declined significantly only in boys during the first year.

Conclusion: Effectiveness was greater in the first school year and more evident in younger boys