Effective multi-level, multi-sector, school-based obesity prevention programming improves weight, blood pressure, and academic performance, especially among low-income, minority children.
BACKGROUND
Successfully addressing childhood onset obesity requires multilevel (individual, community, and governmental), multi-agency collaboration.


METHODS
The Healthier Options for Public Schoolchildren (HOPS)/OrganWise Guys (OWG) quasi-experimental controlled pilot study (four intervention schools, one control school, total N=3,769; 50.2% Hispanic) was an elementary school-based obesity prevention intervention designed to keep children at a normal, healthy weight, and improve health status and academic achievement. The HOPS/OWG included the following replicable, holistic components: (1) modified dietary offerings, (2) nutrition/lifestyle educational curricula; (3) physical activity component; and (4) wellness projects. Demographic, anthropometric (body mass index [BMI]), blood pressure, and academic data were collected during the two-year study period (2004-6).


RESULTS
Statistically significant improvements in BMI, blood pressure, and academic scores, among low-income Hispanic and White children in particular, were seen in the intervention versus controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Holistic school-based obesity prevention interventions can improve health outcomes and academic performance, in particular among high-risk populations.
Hollar
Danielle
D
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33138, USA. Daniellehollar@gmail.com
Lombardo
Michelle
M
Lopez-Mitnik
Gabriella
G
Hollar
Theodore L
TL
Almon
Marie
M
Agatston
Arthur S
AS
Messiah
Sarah E
SE
D000293:Adolescent; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services; D015431:Weight Loss; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data