title: Development of an educational intervention to promote healthy eating and physical activity in Mexican school-age children.
abstract: Mexico has the highest and most alarming rates of childhood obesity worldwide. A study conducted in the State of Mexico revealed that one of every three children presents overweight or obesity. The objective of this paper is to provide a step-by-step description of the design and implementation of an educational intervention to promote healthy eating and physical activity called "Healthy Recess". The educational intervention was designed using the six stages of the Health Communication Process. This methodological model allowed identifying the needs of school-age children on information and participation in activities. In order to improve the strategy, adjustments were made to the print and audiovisual materials as well as to assessment tools. Typography was modified as well as the color of the images in student's workbook and facilitator's; special effects of the videos were increased; the narration of the radio spots was improved and common words and phrases were included. The Health Communication Process is an effective tool for program planners to design interventions aimed at managing prevalent health problems such as overweight and obesity in school-age children.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico; Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Carrera 32 No. 29-31, Bucaramanga, Santander PBX 634400, Colombia. Electronic address: claudiamayac@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Amaya-Castellanos
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: tshamah@insp.mx.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shamah-Levy
authors.affiliation: Iberoamerican University, Prolongación Paseo de la Reforma No. 880, Lomas de Santa Fe, 01219 Mexico, D.F., Mexico. Electronic address: ericka.escalante@uia.mx.
authors.forename: Ericka
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Escalante-Izeta
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: cmruan@insp.mx.
authors.forename: María Del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Morales-Ruán
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: aljimenez@insp.mx.
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Aguilar
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: araceli.salazar@insp.mx.
authors.forename: Araceli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salazar-Coronel
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: rebeca.uribe@insp.mx.
authors.forename: Rebeca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uribe-Carvajal
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: maritza.amaya@insp.mx.
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amaya-Castellanos
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education*; D003256:Community Participation; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D017145:Models, Educational; D009043:Motor Activity; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: Health promotion; Nutrition; Obesity; Physical activity