Obesity
Conditions
Brief summary
Objectives: We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of Students for Nutrition and eXercise (SNaX), a middle-school-based obesity-prevention intervention combining school-wide environmental changes, multimedia, encouragement to eat healthy school cafeteria foods, and peer-led education and marketing. Methods: We randomly selected schools from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and assigned five to the intervention group and five to a wait-list control group. School records were obtained for number of fruits and vegetables served, students served lunch, and snacks sold per attending student. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed psychosocial variables among 2,997 seventh-graders (75% of all seventh-graders across schools). Hypotheses: For the RCT of SNaX, we hypothesized that SNaX would lead to increases in the proportion of students served in the cafeteria (because SNaX markets cafeterias' healthy foods); increased fruit and vegetable servings (because SNaX increases access to sliced/bite-sized fruits and vegetables); decreased school store snack sales; and greater water consumption. We also hypothesized that SNaX would lead to more positive attitudes about the cafeteria and water, improve obesity-prevention knowledge, and increase intentions to drink water.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALStudents for Nutrition and eXercise
These schools received the entirety of Students for Nutrition and eXercise, a middle-school-based obesity-prevention intervention combining school-wide environmental changes, multimedia, encouragement to eat healthy school cafeteria foods, and peer-led education and marketing
Sponsors
Boston Children's Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
11 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* schools with \>50% NSLP-eligible students (a proxy for low-income) and \<900 - seventh-graders
Exclusion criteria
* schools with \<50% NSLP-eligible students and \>900 seventh-graders
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of students obtaining lunch per day by National School Lunch Program (NSLP) eligibility | 5 months | We obtained the number of students obtaining lunch per day (by National School Lunch Program (NSLP) eligibility) from schools. |
| Number of fruits and vegetables served per day | 5 months | We obtained the number of fruits and vegetables served per day from the school cafeterias. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge about healthy eating and physical activity | 5 months | Knowledge about healthy eating and physical activity was measured with a survey containing 6 true/false items. |
| Intentions to drink water | 5 months | Intentions to drink water were assessed with two survey items, How likely is it that you will drink water \[or drink water from a refillable water bottle\] the next day you are in school? with 5-point scales (extremely likely/extremely unlikely). |
| Attitudes about the cafeteria | 5 months | Attitudes about the cafeteria were calculated by survey data using the mean of two 7-point scales representing attitudes about the cafeteria: unsatisfying/satisfying and bad for my health/good for my health. |
| Number of snacks sold per day | 5 months | We obtained the data on the number of snacks sold per day from the school store. |
| Water consumption frequency | 5 months | Water consumption frequency was assessed by survey with, How often do you usually drink tap water? and How often do you usually use a refillable water bottle to drink water? (every day, a few times a week, once a week, twice a month, once a month, less than once a month, never). |
| Attitudes about water | 5 months | Attitudes about water were measured with a survey including an 11-point scale (very negatively/very positively). |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed