Efectividad de una intervención en educación alimentaria y actividad física para prevenir obesidad en escolares de la ciudad de Casablanca, Chile (2003-2004) / Effectiveness of a dietary and physical activity intervention to prevent obesity in school age children

Background: With the aim of contributing to he Healthy Goal 2010 of reducing significantly the prevalence of childhood obestiy we developed and implemented during 2003 and 2004, a school-based obesity prevention intervention which included nutrition education and the promotion of physical activity. Aim To report the results of the intervention. Material and methods: The sample included 1760 children (1st to 7th grade) from 3 elementary public schools in Casablanca (experimental group) and 671 from a similar school located in Quillota, a neighboring city (control). Primary outcomes were body mass index (BMI) Zscore, the mile and shuttle-run tests and obesity prevalence. We also compared changes in waist circumference and triceps skinfold between both groups. Effectiveness of the intervention was assessed by analyzing separately the group *age* time interaction for the first 3 outcomes (follow-up-baseline), using a mixed model of covariance and by comparing variations in obesity prevalence between both groups. Results: There was a significant decline in BMI Z scores in experimental schools for both genders, but greater in boys (p <0.001 versus p =0.0034 in girls), while in controls, BMI Z scores increased. Obesity prevalence declined significantly in experimental schools; from 17 to 12.3 percent and from 14.1 to 10.3 percent in boys and girls respectively, while in the control group, it remained unchanged. Also, triceps skinfold in girls from Casablanca increased significantly ¡ess than that of control girls. Conclusion: This intervention proved that it is possible to reduce significantly the prevalence of obesity in Chilean schoolchildren attending public elementary schools.

Prevención de la obesidad en Chile / The prevention of obesity in Chile

Se describen los cambios epidemiológicos y nutricionales que ha tenido Chile en las últimas décadas, especialmente relacionados con la dieta y sedentarismo, lo que ha llevado a un aumento explosivo de la obesidad a niveles semejantes a los Estados Unidos. Frente a esta situación, se plantea la necesidad de desarrollar una Política de Estado en Promoción de Salud a través de VIDA CHILE, y en el caso específico de la alimentación y nutrición, seguir los lineamientos que ha dado la OMS y la FAO frente al tema Dieta, Nutrición y la Prevención de las Enfermedades Crónicas no Transmisibles.

The epidemiologic and nutritional changes that have occurred in Chile in the last decades are described, in particular related to diet and sedentarism, with the consequence of an explosive increase in obesity, similar to United States levels. To cope with this situation it is necessary a State Policy in Health Promotion through VIDA CHILE. In the case of diet and nutrition it is recommended to follow the WHO and FAO guidelines related to Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases.

Estado nutricional y resistencia aeróbica en escolares de educación básica: línea base de un Proyecto de Promoción de la Salud / Nutritional status and aerobic capacity among children attending public elementary schools in Chile

Background: The Chilean Ministry of Health has developed a health promotion program called «Vida Chile¼, whose aim is to target risk factors for chronic diseases. To achieve this, school-based initiatives in nutrition and physical activity have been implemented. The evaluation of these initiatives includes a baseline assessment of these two variables. Aim: Baseline assessment of the nutritional status and aerobic capacity of elementary school children (1st to 8th grade). Material and methods: Children from seven public schools were studied. Weight, height, triceps skinfold thickness and waist circumference were measured. To test the aerobic capacity, the 20-m Shuttle Run Test (Navette) was utilized. Results: The assessment included 4,271 children, mean age was 10.2 years. The percentile of body mass index, as compared to the CDC 2000 Reference was 67.8±26.7 and 68±26.7 for boys and girls, respectively. The prevalence of obesity among children from 6 to 8 years, was 20.3 and 17.7% for boys and girls, respectively. Approximately 30% of males and 15% of females with normal weight had a good aerobic resistance, compared to 15 and 4% of their overweight counterparts. Aerobic capacity decreased with increasing age. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of obesity and a deficient level of aerobic capacity among children attending public schools in Chile.