ARS | Publication request: Weight change among Mexican American students involved in an intensive intervention to prevent and treat obesity

Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 6, 2010
Publication Date: April 6, 2010
Citation: Palcic, J.L., Johnston, C.A., Stansberry, S.A., El-Mubasher, A., Ly, N.D., Rebecca, R., Foreyt, J.P. 2010. Weight change among Mexican American students involved in an intensive intervention to prevent and treat obesity [abstract]. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 24:lb295.

Technical Abstract: The current study examined the effects of an intensive weight management intervention for Mexican American adolescents. A total of 228 adolescents were randomized to an environmental health promotion program (EHPP) or EHPP plus intensive intervention (EHPP+II). The EHPP consisted of a school-wide intervention to promote healthy behaviors and included a physical education class. Children in the EHPP+II condition were exposed to the school-wide intervention, but their PE class was replaced with an intensive multi-component program comprised of nutrition and physical activity education, snacking intervention, and behavior modification. Overall, there was a significant reduction in zBMI among all students at 1 year (F = 40.75, p < .001) and there was a significant interaction (F = 3.31, p < .05). RANOVAs indicated no significant difference in change in zBMI between the EHPP+II and EHPP groups for healthy weight children (F = .967, ns). However, there was a significant interaction effect for overweight and obese children (F = 3.45, p < .05). Both groups significantly decreased their zBMI at 6 months; however, at 12 months the students in the EHPP+II maintained their original losses, while students in the EHPP group increased their zBMI. This study suggests that a school-wide health promotion program can reduce zBMI in overweight and obese children and may prevent increase in zBMI for normal weight children.