title: Evaluation of a real world intervention using professional football players to promote a healthy diet and physical activity in children and adolescents from a lower socio-economic background: a controlled pretest-posttest design.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increasing rates of obesity among children and adolescents, especially in those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, emphasise the need for interventions promoting a healthy diet and physical activity. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the 'Health Scores!' program, which combined professional football player role models with a school-based program to promote a healthy diet and physical activity to socially vulnerable children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention was implemented in two settings: professional football clubs and schools. Socially vulnerable children and adolescents (n = 165 intervention group, n = 440 control group, aged 10-14 year) provided self-reported data on dietary habits and physical activity before and after the four-month intervention. Intervention effects were evaluated using repeated measures analysis of variance. In addition, a process evaluation was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No intervention effects were found for several dietary behaviours, including consumption of breakfast, fruit, soft drinks or sweet and savoury snacks. Positive intervention effects were found for self-efficacy for having a daily breakfast (p < 0.01), positive attitude towards vegetables consumption (p < 0.01) and towards lower soft drink consumption (p < 0.001). A trend towards significance (p < 0.10) was found for self-efficacy for reaching the physical activity guidelines. For sports participation no significant intervention effect was found. In total, 92 pupils completed the process evaluation, the feedback was largely positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 'Health Scores!' intervention was successful in increasing psychosocial correlates of a healthy diet and PA. The use of professional football players as a credible source for health promotion was appealing to socially vulnerable children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Veerle.dubuy@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Veerle
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dubuy
authors.forename: Katrien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Cocker
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seghers
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lefevre
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Martelaer
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brooke
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001530:Belgium; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D011203:Poverty; D012572:School Health Services; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012916:Soccer; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires