Positive Effects of Promoting Physical Activity and Balanced Diets in a Primary School Setting with a High Proportion of Migrant School Children

Abstract

Background Children with migration background are at particular risk for overweight. We assessed the effects of a primary school-based initiative targeted at enhancing physical activity and dietary education among children with a high proportion of migration background. Methods Four 3^rd and 4^th grade classes (n=70 children, 77% with migration background) participated in a 10-months intervention comprising 2 additional exercise lessons weekly and 10 nutrition lessons per school year. 6 school classes (n=125 children, 65% with migration background) served as control. Before and after the intervention, an assessment of physical fitness and motor skills and questionnaires on dietary behavior and knowledge were conducted. In a subgroup (n=37), after 6 months of the intervention, daily physical activity was assessed by accelerometer-based monitoring. Differences in changes between the groups were assessed using linear regression analyses. Results Changes between the 2 time points for fitness and motor skill tests (differences in standard deviation scores) were larger in the intervention than in the control group for the total mean test value (β=0.38, p<0.001), driven by higher improvements in 5 of the 8 test items, i.e., obstacle race (speed) (β=0.22, p=0.049), standing long jump (strength) (β=0.35, p<0.001), sit-ups (strength) (β=0.33, p=0.002), stand and reach (mobility) (β=0.22, p=0.042), and 6 min run (endurance) (β=0.40, p<0.001), independently of confounders. Changes in dietary knowledge and consumption frequencies did not differ between groups. Conclusions Promoting guided physical activity in a primary school setting with a high proportion of children with migration background positively affected parameters of fitness and motor skills.