Effects of a school based intervention to promote healthy habits in children 8-11 years old, living in the lowland area of Bologna Local Health Unit.

BACKGROUND: A school based health promotion intervention was performed with the aim of increasing physical activity and improving the dietary habits of primary school pupils, using integrated educational strategies involving schools, families, public bodies, sports associations and public health operators. METHODS: The intervention concerned 11 classes during 3 school years from 2009-10 (231 third-year school children) to 2011-12 (234 fifth-year school children). Information was collected both before and after the intervention about the dietary habits and the physical activities practised by the children, using the questionnaires of the project !OKkio alla Salute! which were administered to both children and parents. At the same time anthropometric measurements were taken (height, weight, BMI) and motor skills were assessed using standardized tests: Sit & Reach, medicine-ball forward throw, standing long jump, 20 m running speed, and forward roll. At the end of the intervention 12 different expected outcomes were assessed (5 about dietary habits, 5 about motor habits, 1 about anthropometric characteristics, 1 about motor skills). RESULTS: At baseline, 35.8% of the children show excess weight (23.4% overweight; 12.4% obese); this percentage falls to 29.3% (25.3% overweight; 4% obese) after the intervention (p <0.05). The dietary habits improve from the pre- to the post-intervention: there is a rise in the percentage of children who receive an adequate mid-morning snack (p <0.0001), a fall in the percentage of children who consume snacks and drinks after the dinner (p <0.01), and an increase in the percentage of those who take five or more portions of fruits and vegetables daily. The motor habits do not improve in the same way, since there is the increasing tendency with age to skip from a regular daily practice of physical exercise to favour of the occasional practice of a sport. The motor performances, compared after normalization for modifications due to the process of growth, improve between the third and fifth years of primary school, but with no significant differences. To achieve this objective more focused measures are necessary in the administration of moderate to intense physical exercise. CONCLUSIONS: The results point to a positive assessment of the intervention, thus highlighting the importance of planning integrated and multisectorial actions in school-based programmes to promote correct dietary and motor habits and for the control of body weight, also involving non scholastic areas.

[Survey on sports practice and physical activity of primary school children living in the area of Bologna Local Health Unit in relation with some individual and environmental variables]. / Indagine sulla pratica sportiva e le abitudini motorie dei bambini della scuola primaria del territorio dell'Azienda USL di bologna in relazione ad alcune variabili individuali e ambientali.

A randomized stratified sample of 522 children attending the third class of primary schools within the area of Bologna Local Health Unit was analysed for physical activity and sports practice. Information about the children's habits and availability of facilities for physical and sports activities were collected by means of structured questionnaires completed by children (507 respondents), parents (491), reference teachers for physical education (26) and class teachers (46) during the school year 2006-07. At the same time, the children's heights and weights were measured in order to calculate BMI values. Regular sports activity is practised by 80.1% of children (males: 82.4%, females: 77.6%), with significant diferences between genders only in children with at least one non-Italian parent (M>F, p < 0.05); the practice of sports is influenced by the area of residence (metropolitan > plain and hills, p < 0.05) and nationality (Italians > non-Italians, p < 0.01). Children with at least one actively sports practising parent are involved more frequently in sports activities (p < 0.001). In free time, sedentary activities are prevalent for both sports-practising children and not. However children not involved in regular sports activities tend to practise outdoor physical activities with a frequency significantly higher than children involved in sports (17.3% vs 10.4% of respondents). The percentage of completely sedentary children, who stated that they practise neither sports nor physical activity in their free time, is 7.3% (metropolitan area: 4.5%, hills: 8.7%, plain: 10.6%). The prevalence of overweight is 24.4%, of obesity 9.7%, with a better distribution of BMI values in the metropolitan area where there is the highest occurrence of positive conditions and behaviours: availability of sports facilities, the highest prevalence of sports practice, and the lowest prevalence of completely sedentary children.