Obesity
Conditions
Brief summary
This study assesses the impact of a nutritional intervention aimed at reducing childhood overweight in German preschoolers.
Detailed description
Objective: To assess the impact of a nutritional intervention aimed at reducing childhood overweight in German preschoolers. Design: Using a cluster-randomized study design with waiting-list controls, we test a six-month intervention administered once weekly by a nutritional expert consisting of joint meal preparation and activities for children and parents like tasting and preparing nutritious, fresh foods. At baseline, six and twelve months, a parent-completed questionnaire assesses fruit and vegetable intake (primary outcomes) and water and sugared drink consumption (other outcomes). Direct measurement assessed BMI, percentage body fat (skin fold thicknesses) and waist-to-height-ratio. An intention-to-treat analysis used random effects panel regression models to assess the intervention effect, adjusted for each child's age, gender, immigrant background and maternal education. Setting: 18 Preschools from three south German regions. Subjects: Healthy children from three to seven years of age.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALpreschool-based nutritional intervention
6-month intervention administered once weekly by a nutrition expert consisting of joint meal preparation and activities for children and parents such as tasting and preparing nutritious, fresh foods.
Sponsors
Heidelberg University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
3 Years to 7 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Pre-schools were eligible to participate in the study if they were located in one of three predefined regions and had applied to participate in the nutritional intervention module of a state-sponsored health promotion programme 'Komm mit in das gesunde Boot' ('Come aboard the health boat'), with at least fifteen children participating. * Healthy children in eligible preschools
Exclusion criteria
* Age under 3 years or above 7 years * Serious health problems * Genetic conditions * Metabolic diseases * Acute infectious diseases
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Fruit- and vegetable consumption | 0, 6, 12 months | Before intervention (0 months), at the end of intervention (6 months), six months after intervention (12 months) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Body Mass Index | 0, 6, and 12 months | Before intervention (0 months), at the end of intervention (6 months), six months after intervention (12 months) |
| Change in Percent body fat | 0, 6 and 12 months | Before intervention (0 months), at the end of intervention (6 months), six months after intervention (12 months) |
| Change in waist-to-height ratio | 0, 6 and 12 months | Before intervention (0 months), at the end of intervention (6 months), six months after intervention (12 months) |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in water consumption; Change in juice consumption | 0, 6 and 12 months | Before intervention (0 months), at the end of intervention (6 months), six months after intervention (12 months) |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed