title: Results of a multibehavioral health-promoting school pilot intervention in a Dutch secondary school.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies increasingly show adolescent health-related behaviors to be interrelated, interacting synergistically and sharing several common determinants. Therefore, research increasingly focuses on studying interventions that target a range of health behaviors simultaneously. This report describes the results of a pilot study of a secondary school-based, health-promoting intervention that simultaneously targets a range of adolescent health behaviors via a whole-school approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected self-reported behavioral data via an annual online questionnaire to 336 students. We collected data before the intervention implementation and after the intervention's first completed, 3-year curriculum cycle on the fourth-grade students (15- to 16-year-olds). We analyzed differences between pre- and postintervention groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant behavioral changes were reported for extreme alcohol use, smoking, sedentary time, and bullying behaviors. Certain behaviors were significantly different only in girls: namely, weekly alcohol use, ever having used cannabis, compulsive Internet or computer use score, compulsive gaming score, and recent bully victimization. Differences in several sedentary time behaviors (television watching and Internet or computer use) were significant only in boys. No changes were reported regarding body mass index; physical activity; or the time spent on, or the compulsiveness of, video game playing. In addition, the postintervention group showed significantly fewer psychosocial problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intervention successfully changed student health behaviors on many accounts. It remains largely unclear as to what causes the different effects for boys and girls. Further studies regarding multiple health behavior targeting interventions for adolescents are required.
authors.affiliation: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands. v.busch@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Rob J J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: De Leeuw
authors.forename: Augustinus J P
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Schrijvers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012572:School Health Services; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires