title: Effectiveness of a randomized school-based intervention involving families and teachers to prevent excessive weight gain among adolescents in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based intervention involving the families and teachers that aimed to promote healthy eating habits in adolescents; the ultimate aim of the intervention was to reduce the increase in body mass index (BMI) of the students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paired cluster randomized school-based trial conducted with a sample of fifth graders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty classes were randomly assigned into either an intervention group or a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a total of 574 eligible students, 559 students participated in the study (intervention: 10 classes with 277 participants; control: 10 classes with 282 participants). The mean age of students was 11 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students attended 9 nutritional education sessions during the 2010 academic year. Parents/guardians and teachers received information on the same subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Changes in BMI and percentage of body fat.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intention-to-treat analysis showed that changes in BMI were not significantly different between the 2 groups (β = 0.003; p = 0.75). There was a major reduction in the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and cookies in the intervention group; students in this group also consumed more fruits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Encouraging the adoption of healthy eating habits promoted important changes in the adolescent diet, but this did not lead to a reduction in BMI gain. Strategies based exclusively on the quality of diet may not reduce weight gain among adolescents.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01046474.
authors: Department of Social Medicine, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. dianabcunha@gmail.com
authors: Diana B
authors: DB
authors: Cunha
authors: Bárbara da S N
authors: Bda S
authors: de Souza
authors: Rosangela A
authors: RA
authors: Pereira
authors: Rosely
authors: R
authors: Sichieri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005178:Faculty; D005190:Family; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D015430:Weight Gain