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. 2017 Jul;25(7):1175-1182.
doi: 10.1002/oby.21867.

Student obesity prevalence and behavioral outcomes for the massachusetts childhood obesity research demonstration project

Rebecca L Franckle  1 , Jennifer Falbe  2 , Steven Gortmaker  3 , Jessica L Barrett  3 , Catherine Giles  3 , Claudia Ganter  4 , Rachel E Blaine  5 , James Buszkiewicz  6 , Elsie M Taveras  1   7 , Jo-Ann Kwass  8 , Thomas Land  9 , Kirsten K Davison  1   3
Affiliations

Student obesity prevalence and behavioral outcomes for the massachusetts childhood obesity research demonstration project

Rebecca L Franckle et al. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2017 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: To examine changes in prevalence of obesity and target health behaviors (fruit, vegetable, and beverage consumption; physical activity; screen time; sleep duration) among students from communities that participated in the Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (MA-CORD) project compared to controls.

Methods: MA-CORD was implemented in two low-income communities. School-level prevalence of obesity among students in first, fourth, and seventh grades was calculated for the intervention communities and nine matched control communities pre and post intervention. Fourth- and seventh-grade students' self-reported health behaviors were measured in intervention communities at baseline and post intervention.

Results: Among seventh-graders (the student group with greatest intervention exposure), a statistically significant decrease in prevalence of obesity from baseline to post intervention in Community 2 (-2.68%, P = 0.049) and a similar but nonsignificant decrease in Community 1 (-2.24%, P = 0.099) was observed. Fourth- and seventh-grade students in both communities were more likely to meet behavioral targets post intervention for sugar-sweetened beverages (both communities: P < 0.0001) and water (Community 1: P < 0.01; Community 2: P = 0.04) and in Community 2 for screen time (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: This multisector intervention was associated with a modest reduction in obesity prevalence among seventh-graders in one community compared to controls, along with improvements in behavioral targets.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02110615.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Intervention components in sectors most likely to affect the school-aged population.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Timing of MA-CORD Implementation and Measurements. *This study utilized two designs: a quasi-experimental design with pre/post data for the intervention communities and the matched control communities (for obesity prevalence) and a quasi-experimental design with pre/post data for only the intervention communities (for behavioral outcomes).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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