School Based Physical Activity Intervention to Reduce Obesity and Increase Physical Fitness Obese Elementary Children

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of obesity is extremely high and increasing in elementary school children in the US, but recent systematic reviews have concluded that there are no simple, generalizable and successful obesity prevention strategies available. Objective: To assess whether an 8-week-school-based physical activity intervention would reduce BMI percentiles and improve physical fitness in both normal weight and obese children. Material and Methods: One hundred and one children were consented to the study (mean age 8.12 ± 0.10 years). BMI and BMI percentiles for age and gender were determined using EpiInfo. Participants were classified as Obese (OB) (n=48) if they had a BMI percentile of ≥ 95% for their age and gender. Normal weight (NW) was (n=53) classified as having a BMI percentile lower than 75% for age and gender. Intervention consisted of an 8-week enhanced physical activity program in school (100 minutes/week). Physical fitness was assessed using the FITNESSGRAM test battery. Repeated measures GLM was used to assess within and between subjects’ effects from pre- to post-testing. Results: GLM showed significant results within subject and between subject for BMI percentile, trunk lifts, push-ups, sit ups, sit and reach and the 1-mile run (p’s <0.01). However, our results also showed that there was a significant reduction in BMI percentile (0.001), weight (p=0.05) and waist/hip ratio (p=0.01) for the obese group. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that an 8-week physical activity intervention was successful in improving physical fitness in NW and OB children. The 8-week program also was successful in reducing BMI percentile in the OB group. Future studies should consider increasing both the duration of the program and the sample size.