title: Physical Activity Programs with Post-Intervention Follow-Up in Children: A Comprehensive Review According to Categories of Intervention.
abstract: Only 9% of Canadian children meet the National Guidelines of 60 min of daily moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. The aim of this review is to assess the mid- and long-term effectiveness of physical activity interventions and their impact on cardiovascular risk factors in children. We assessed the success of interventions within three different categories: those using a behavioural and social approach, an informational approach or an environmental approach. The average number of children included in these studies was 860 (range of 30-5106); the age range was from 2 to 18 years; and the mean intervention duration was 1607 min (range of 12-8160 min). The length of follow-up post-intervention averaged 13 months (ranging from 0.25 to 96 months). A positive impact on physical activity was found in 74% and on any measured outcomes in 90% of the studies reviewed. However, the benefits of physical activity interventions decreased with longer follow-up. Regardless of the approaches, physical activity interventions improved cardiovascular risk factors. However, the challenge of any program is to maintain beneficial effects once the intervention is completed. These findings will inform the development of future intervention programs in order to optimize sustained cardiovascular benefits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, CIRCUIT Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada. sally.nguyen7@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Technische Universit&#228;t M&#252;nchen, Munich 80992, Germany. anna.haecker@tum.de.
authors.forename: Anna-Luisa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Häcker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, CIRCUIT Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada. melanie.henderson.hsj@gmail.com.|Sainte-Justine UHC Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada. melanie.henderson.hsj@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.affiliation: Sainte-Justine UHC Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada. tracie.barnett@gmail.com.|Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, INRS-Institute Armand-Frappier, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada. tracie.barnett@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tracie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.affiliation: Sainte-Justine UHC Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada. me.mathieu@umontreal.ca.|Department of Kinesiology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada. me.mathieu@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Marie-Eve
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Mathieu
authors.affiliation: Sainte-Justine UHC Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada. Linda.s.pagani@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pagani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, CIRCUIT Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada. Jean-Luc_Bigras@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.|Sainte-Justine UHC Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada. Jean-Luc_Bigras@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bigras
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002170:Canada; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015444:Exercise; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: adolescents; cardiovascular risk factors; children; intervention; physical activity