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. 2014 Jan;63(1):68-77.
doi: 10.7727/wimj.2014.011. Epub 2014 Apr 8.

Sustainability of a Curriculum-based Intervention on Dietary Behaviours and Physical Activity among Primary School Children in Trinidad and Tobago

S Ds Nichols  1 , M P Francis  2 , N Dalrymple  3
Affiliations

Sustainability of a Curriculum-based Intervention on Dietary Behaviours and Physical Activity among Primary School Children in Trinidad and Tobago

S Ds Nichols et al. West Indian Med J. 2014 Jan.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Objectives: Childhood obesity and poor lifestyle practices are emerging as major public health challenges in the Caribbean. Given the fact that a significant part of childhood is spent at school, curriculum-based interventions aimed at improving good dietary and physical activity patterns may provide a useful vehicle for mass inculcation of long-term healthy lifestyle practices. In this study, we evaluated the long-term impact of a brief curriculum based intervention on dietary behaviour, physical activity and knowledge level of primary schoolchildren.

Methods: The study was a randomized, controlled, school-based nutrition education and physical activity intervention. One hundred students each were then randomly assigned to the intervention (IVG) and non-intervention (NIVG) groups and followed-up for 18 months. Participants in the IVG group were exposed to a curriculum consisting of six one-hour modules followed by school-based activities geared at fostering healthy behaviours. Students in the non-intervention group did not receive any modules and were subject to the information available at school on a regular basis.

Results: In multivariate regression equations controlling for age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and baseline values, intervention was associated with lower intake of fried foods and sodas (p < 0.05) and higher knowledge scores (p < 0.01) 18 months later but not significantly associated with improved physical activity or lower BMI.

Conclusions: In this study, participants in the intervention group reported significantly lower intakes of fried foods and sodas and higher knowledge scores than participants in the control group some 18 months post-intervention independent of age, gender, BMI, ethnicity and the intakes at baseline.

Objetivos:: La obesidad infantil y las prácticas de estilo de vida pobre se presentan cada vez más como importantes retos para la salud pública en el Caribe. Dado el hecho de que una parte significativa de la infancia transcurre en la escuela, las intervenciones basadas en el currículo dirigidas a mejorar los patrones de actividad física y dietética, pueden proporcionar una vía útil para inculcar masivamente prácticas de estilo de vida saludable a largo plazo. En este estudio, evaluamos el impacto a largo plazo de una intervención basada en un currículo breve de la conducta dietética, la actividad física, y el nivel de conocimientos de los escolares de la escuela primaria.

Métodos:: El estudio consistió en una intervención de la actividad física y educación sobre la nutrición de base escolar, controlada y randomizada. Cien estudiantes fueron individualmente asignados de forma aleatoria a grupos de intervención (GIV) y grupos de no intervención (GNIV), con un seguimiento de 18 meses. Los participantes en el grupo GIV fueron expuestos a un programa consistente en seis módulos de una hora, seguidos de actividades escolares orientadas a fomentar comportamientos saludables. Los estudiantes en el grupo de no intervención no recibieron ningún módulo y estaban sujetos a la información disponible en la escuela de forma regular.

The study was a randomized, controlled, school-based nutrition education and physical activity intervention. One hundred students each were then randomly assigned to the intervention (IVG) and non-intervention (NIVG) groups and followed up for eighteen months. Participants in the (IVG) group were exposed to a curriculum consisting of six one-hour modules followed by school-based activities geared at fostering healthy behaviours. Students in the non-intervention group did not receive any modules and were subject to the information available at school on a regular basis.

Resultados:: En las ecuaciones de regresión multivariante de edad, género, índice de masa corporal (IMC) y valores de referencia, la intervención estuvo asociada con una menor ingesta de alimentos fritos y refrescos (p < 0.05), y una mayor puntuación en cuanto a conocimientos (p < 0.01) 18 meses más tarde, pero no significativamente asociada con una mejor actividad física o un IMC más bajo.

Conclusiones:: En este estudio, los participantes en el grupo de intervención reportaron ingestas de alimentos fritos y refrescos significativamente menores, y puntuaciones de conocimiento más altas que las de los participantes en el grupo control, unos 18 meses tras la intervención, independientemente de la edad, el género, el IMC, la etnia, y las ingestas, en relación con los valores iniciales del estudio.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Distribution of participants throughout the study.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Summary of overall study design and implementation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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