The effects of a school-based intervention programme on dietary intakes and physical activity among primary-school children in Trinidad and Tobago.
OBJECTIVE
Childhood obesity is increasingly being recognized as a major public health problem in the Caribbean. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a short-term, school-based, multi-component education intervention on improving the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of primary-school children towards better dietary and activity habits.


METHODS
The study was a randomized, controlled, school-based nutrition education and physical activity intervention. Participating schools were randomly assigned to the intervention (IVG) and non-intervention (NIVG) groups.


METHODS
All primary schools in Sangre Grande, north-east Trinidad.


METHODS
Five hundred and seventy-nine pupils in their sixth year of primary-school education were enrolled from twelve schools in Sangre Grande, north-east Trinidad.


RESULTS
Approximately 23 % of participants had BMI >or= 85th percentile of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention age- and gender-specific cut-off values. In multivariate regression equations controlling for age, gender, BMI and baseline value, intervention was associated with lower intake levels of fried foods, snack foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) and sodas (P < 0.05). In similar analyses, intervention was associated with higher knowledge scores (P < 0.01). Intervention was not significantly associated with physical activity and Children's Eating Attitude Test-26 (ChEAT26) scores after controlling for age, gender, BMI and the relevant baseline values.


CONCLUSIONS
The intervention was associated with lower intake levels of fried foods, HFSS foods, sodas and higher knowledge scores independent of age, gender, BMI, ethnicity and the appropriate baseline value. Finally, the intervention was not associated with changes in physical activity behaviours in multivariate analyses.
Francis
Marlon
M
University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
Nichols
Selby S D
SS
Dalrymple
Nequesha
N
D001294:Attitude to Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012574:Schools; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago / Q000453:epidemiology