Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology and Diabetes
Volume 125, Issue 8, 2017, Pages 554-562

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

Weber K.S. , Spörkel O. , Mertens M. , Freese A. , Strassburger K. , Kemper B. , Bachmann C. , Diehlmann K. , Stemper T. , Buyken A.E. , Ketelhut K. , Müssig K.*
  • a Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Düsseldorf c/o Aufm Hennekamp 65, Düsseldorf, D-40225, Germany, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
  • b Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Düsseldorf c/o Aufm Hennekamp 65, Düsseldorf, D-40225, Germany, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
  • c Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Düsseldorf c/o Aufm Hennekamp 65, Düsseldorf, D-40225, Germany, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • d Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Düsseldorf c/o Aufm Hennekamp 65, Düsseldorf, D-40225, Germany, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
  • e German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany, Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Heinrich Heine University, Leibniz Institute for Diabetes Research, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • f Municipal Sports Office of the Capital City Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • g Municipal Sports Office of the Capital City Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • h Municipal Sports Office of the Capital City Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • i Faculty of Sports Science, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
  • j DONALD Study, IEL-Nutritional Epidemiology, University of Bonn, Germany
  • k University of Applied Health Sciences, Gera, Germany
  • l Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Düsseldorf c/o Aufm Hennekamp 65, Düsseldorf, D-40225, Germany, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany

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.

Author Keywords

Exercise Children Migration background nutrition prevention

Index Keywords

primary school physical activity body composition motor performance energy expenditure fitness controlled clinical trial clinical trial exercise follow up human child nutrition Overweight controlled study obesity priority journal diet feeding behavior nutrition education Physical Fitness knowledge school child Humans male female Food Preferences questionnaire prevalence Article food preference endurance major clinical study intervention study fat mass migration body fat Accelerometer Transients and Migrants body mass dietary intake Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85029684394&doi=10.1055%2fs-0043-101918&partnerID=40&md5=0603838d8a9b973019532e158a6d60d2
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-101918
ISSN: 09477349
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English