Improved Body Mass Index Measures Following a Middle School-Based Obesity Intervention-The MATCH Program.
BACKGROUND
Motivating Adolescents with Technology to CHOOSE Health™ (MATCH) is an educational and behavioral intervention in seventh grade.


METHODS
Teachers in 2 schools delivered the MATCH curriculum, with 1 control school. Using a quasi-experimental design, outcome measures included lessons completed, body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score (zBMI), BMI percentile, weight category, and self-reported lifestyle behaviors. We used multiple regression models to compare group results.


RESULTS
For the MATCH group (N = 189), teachers provided lessons over 14 weeks; the control group (N = 173) received usual curriculum. Postintervention, the MATCH group had significant decreases in BMI measures compared with the control. In combined overweight and obese participants, the mean (95% confidence interval) zBMI change was -0.05 (-0.07, -0.03) in MATCH and -0.01 (-0.04, 0.02) in control, p = .034 between groups. After 1 year, improvements are sustained: for the overweight subgroup, the mean zBMI decreased from 1.34 to 1.26 post-MATCH, then to 1.26 after 1 year; for the obese subgroup, mean zBMI = 2.16, to 2.13 post-MATCH to 2.08 after 1 year. Self-reported lifestyle behaviors showed no differences.


CONCLUSIONS
MATCH integrates theory-based strategies into standard curriculum delivered by teachers. No prior middle-school intervention has shown sustained change in BMI measures. MATCH warrants further study as a strategy to address obesity.
Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Blvd, 174 Life Sciences Building, Greenville, NC 27834. lazoricks@ecu.edu.
Suzanne
S
Lazorick
Department of Biostatistics, College of Allied Health Sciences, East Carolina University, 2435F Health Sciences Building, Greenville, NC 27834. fangx@ecu.edu.
Xiangming
X
Fang
Department of Pediatrics, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Blvd, 174 Life Sciences Building, Greenville, NC 27834. hardisong@ecu.edu.
George T
GT
Hardison
Department of Academic Affairs, East Carolina University, 2N-45A Brody Medical Sciences Bldg, Mail Stop 647, Greenville, NC 27834. crawfordy@ecu.edu.
Yancey
Y
Crawford
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D015431:Weight Loss
child and adolescent health; growth and development; health education; instructional program; nutrition and diet