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Background: Childhood obesity is becoming a serious problem, and prevention programs are needed.Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate, after 1 y, the effectiveness of a multicomponent, school-based obesity intervention program.Methods: This intervention, conducted in Barcelona, Spain, was a quasi-experimental obesity primary prevention intervention targeting schoolchildren aged 9-10 y. Participants were assigned to an intervention group (IG) (1464 students) or to a comparison group (CG) (1609 students). The intervention consisted of a 9-session classroom program, 6 weekly sessions of physical education and out-of-school physical activity, and a workshop for families. It lasted from October 2011 to May 2012. Data obtained at baseline (spring 2011) and follow-up (spring 2012) included information on nutrition and physical activity, through 2 self-reported questionnaires, and measurement of weight, height, triceps skinfold thickness, and waist circumference. The cumulative incidence rate (CIR) of obesity was calculated from triceps skinfold measures. A multilevel logistic regression model was fitted to determine the association between the intervention and the CIR of obesity. The effect size of the program was estimated with Cohen's criteria.Results: The overall prevalence of obesity at baseline was 12.7%. At the 12-mo follow-up, the incidence of obesity was 7.8% in the IG compared with 11.4% in the CG (P < 0.005), representing 31% fewer new cases of obesity in the IG. The Cohen's d effect size of the program was 0.33. In the multilevel analysis, there was a protective effect of the intervention on the CIR of obesity at 12 mo (OR: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5, 0.9) (P = 0.009).Conclusions: The first Prevención de la Obesidad Infantil en Barcelona (Childhood Obesity Prevention in Barcelona) (POIBA) intervention, targeting children aged 9-10 y, reduced the incidence of obesity as measured by adiposity. The intervention could prevent 1 in 3 new cases of childhood obesity in this age range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood obesity preventive interventions should promote a healthy diet and physical activity at home and school. This study aims to describe a school-based childhood obesity preventive programme (POIBA Project) targeting 8-to-12-year-olds. Design and methods: Evaluation study of a school-based intervention with a pre-post quasi-experimental design and a comparison group. Schools from disadvantaged neighbourhoods are oversampled. The intervention consists of 9 sessions, including 58 activities of a total duration between 9 and 13 hours, and the booster intervention of 2 sessions with 8 activities lasting 3 or 4 hours. They are multilevel (individual, family and school) and multicomponent (classroom, physical activity and family). Data are collected through anthropometric measurements, physical fitness tests and lifestyle surveys before and after the intervention and the booster intervention. In the intervention group, families complete two questionnaires about their children's eating habits and physical activity. The outcome variable is the cumulative incidence rate of obesity, obtained from body mass index values and body fat assessed by triceps skinfold thickness. The independent variables are socio-demographic, contextual, eating habits, food frequency, intensity of physical activity and use of new technologies. Expected impact for public health: It is essential to implement preventive interventions at early ages and to follow its effects over time. Interventions involving diet and physical activity are the most common, being the most effective setting the school. The POIBA Project intervenes in both the school and family setting and focuses on the most disadvantaged groups, in which obesity is most pronounced and difficult to prevent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood obesity has increased worldwide over the past four decades. This quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a multicomponent and multilevel school-based intervention (POIBA) at 3 years of follow-up. The nutrition intervention focused on food groups, food pyramid, nutrients, portions, and balanced menus. In total, 3624 children participated in the study. Anthropometric measurements and information on food frequency and behavior, physical activity, and daily screen use were collected in the intervention (IG) and comparison group (CG). Positive unadjusted changes toward adherence to recommendations were found for water, meat, sweets, and fried potato consumption, proper breakfast, not having dinner in front of the TV, out-of-school physical activity, and daily screen use. Three scores were used to calculate the proportion of children making more than one change to improve healthy habits regarding physical activity (global Activity score), nutrition (global Nutrition score), and both (global score). Students exposed to the intervention had a significantly better global Activity score (16.2% IG vs. 11.9% CG; p = 0.012) and Global score (63.9% IG vs. 58.5% CG; p = 0.025). Intervention effects on obesity incidence at 3-year follow-up lost significance but maintained the positive trend. In conclusion, school-based interventions including a family component could be useful to address the childhood obesity problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]