More Intensive Programs Needed to Boost Healthy Eating and Activity Among Kids

A new study reveals that school-based schemes to boost healthy eating and activities have not been effective enough.

The study, published in bmj.com, calls on public health practitioners, doctors, policy makers and researchers to come up with more intense interventions to bring about change. 

Several pieces of research have tied low levels of physical activity and poor intake of fruits and vegetables in childhood to adverse health outcomes. It is only the school based interventions that have the potential to target a large group of children. But the current school based schemes have had very little effect.

In this study, researchers at the University of Bristol investigated the effectiveness of school-based interventions to enhance physical activity, lower sedentary behavior and increase consumption of fruit and vegetables in children.

The intervention program 'Active for Life Year 5' (AFLY5) was held at 60 primary schools in south west of England. The program involved more than 2,000 children of ages 8-10  over the study period.  The main aim of the study was to overcome the setbacks that existed in the previous trials. The activities of the children were measured using accelerometers.

The intervention program had teacher training, lesson plans and also interactive homework activities, writer data for school newsletters and parents. As a part of the study, the schools were randomly divided either under the intervention program or control arm that received the standard teaching.

There was no proof that intervention did enhance the time spent in moderate or physical activity or even lowered the amount of sedentary behavior.  This did not even boost the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

But it was seen that this intervention was helpful in lowering the time children spent in front of screens on weekends and also consumption of snacks and high energy drinks.

They suggest that a change in these activities "may require more intensive behavioural interventions with children or upstream interventions at the family and societal level, as well as at the school environmental level." Professor Lawlor adds "it is possible that the increased child-efficacy and knowledge that the intervention aims to affect takes some time to embed and affect behaviour. Further follow-up of these children will test that."