title: ACTYBOSS: activity, behavioral therapy in young subjects--after-school intervention pilot project on obesity prevention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the feasibility of a school-based intervention, which combines an incentive-driven physical activity program with lifestyle lectures, and its potential beneficial outcome on children's metabolic parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a 6-month pilot intervention in two high schools in Mallorca, Spain, consisting of a program which involved free supervised exercise sessions and nutritional lectures, where children received credit points as a reward for the hours spent exercising and attendance to the lectures. The credit-earned points obtained were exchanged for gifts. We developed personalized cards and a web application for the participants to check the gifts they were eligible for (www.actyboss.com). Percentage body fat, percentage of fat-free mass and BMI were measured. Secondary measures included fitness parameters, blood pressure and blood lipids levels. 90 children signed up the consent form and 56 completed the program until the endpoint.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a beneficial effect on body composition, fitness parameters, and systolic blood pressure in children who participated in ACTYBOSS compared to children who did not start the intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We describe the incentive-driven, after-school intervention pilot program to promote physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. The program had a positive effect on anthropometric measurements. A larger incentive-driven healthy lifestyle program is now ongoing.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit/CAIBER, IUNICS, 1er piso Edificio S, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Ctra. Valldemossa 79, C.P 07010 Palma, Spain. bartolome.burguera@ssib.es
authors.forename: Bartolome
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burguera
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colom
authors.forename: Estefanía
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piñero
authors.forename: Aina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yanez
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caimari
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tur
authors.forename: Marga
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frontera
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Couce
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cardo
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguiló
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burguera
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cabeza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012201:Reward; D012572:School Health Services; D013030:Spain