Elementary School Age, First Nations, Healthy Children, Rural and Urban
Conditions
Brief summary
School-based interventions are generally ineffective for preventing weight gain in children. In 2007, a group from the University of British Columbia, developed a program called Healthy Buddies, that relied on peer mentors to help young children adopt healthy living behaviours. Pilot studies revealed that the program effectively prevented weight gain in children. This trial had never been tested on a large scale using a more scientifically sound study design. We developed a large school-based randomized trial to overcome that limitation and test the hypothesis that that a school-based peer-led healthy living program would reduce adiposity and increase physical activity among children 6-12yrs old.
Interventions
OTHERHealthy Buddies Curriculum
Each week, intermediate students will receive a 45-minute healthy-living lesson plan from their classroom teacher. Later that week, intermediate students will serve as peer mentors (Buddies), teaching a 30-minute lesson to their younger students. The Physical activity (i.e.Go Move!) component of the lesson plans includes 30-minutes of structured aerobic fitness sessions, called fitness loops, with the student pairs twice weekly. The dietary (Go Fuel!) component includes lessons about distinguishing nutritious and from unhealthy (nutrient poor-energy rich) foods and beverages. The body image (Go Feel Good!) component, the students are taught to value classmates based on individual traits rather than peer influence.
Sponsors
University of Manitoba
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
7 Years to 12 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Participating schools need to meet the following eligibility criteria: (1) were within provincial jurisdiction, (2) had a minimum of 200 students per school, (3) offered grades 1 through 6.
Exclusion criteria
* Children will be excluded if consent was not received from parents or if they had a condition that limited participation in physical activity.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Waist circumference | 10 months | Waist circumference at the top of the iliac crest measured in duplicate with a flexible tape. |
| BMI-Z score | 10 months | Body mass index Z score is calculated from weight/height2 and normalized to population normative data for age (months) and sex. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Physical activity | 10 months | Objectively measured using daily pedometer counts recorded by teachers. |
| Healthy living knowledge and behaviours | 10 months | Questionnaires regarding healthy foods and food frequency. |
| Self efficacy | 10 months | Questionnaire. |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed