Ethnic Differences in Impact of Physical Activity Program on Psychological Symptoms in Youth.

BACKGROUND: Children who engage in regular physical activity are protected from developing behavioral problems at home and school, but many children do not have the opportunity to participate in regular physical activity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a noncurricular school-based physical activity program resulted in reductions in children's psychological problems in 2 domains: internalizing (eg, depression) and externalizing (eg, aggression) and whether these effects varied according to ethnicity, gender, and baseline psychological symptoms. METHODS: One hundred and eleven third-grade students (mean age = 8.47; 55% African American, 42% Latino) from 4 schools participated in the study. Children in 2 schools received the Work to Play physical activity intervention during the study (intervention condition) and children in the other 2 schools did not receive the program until after the study was complete (waitlist control condition). Teachers and parents reported on children's psychological symptoms at baseline and at follow-up approximately 9 months later. RESULTS: Regression analyses showed that children who participated in the program had fewer internalizing symptoms at follow-up. Ethnicity moderated intervention effects with significant decreases in internalizing symptoms for African American, but not Hispanic participants. Neither gender nor baseline psychological symptoms moderated the program's effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The Work-to-Play intervention program appeared to be effective in reducing internalizing symptoms for ethnic minority participants who are at the greatest risk for psychological problems.

The Role of Ethnicity in School-Based Obesity Intervention for School-Aged Children: A Pilot Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Rates of obesity have risen disproportionately for ethnic minority youth in the United States. School-based programs may be the most comprehensive and cost-effective way to implement primary prevention in children. In this study we evaluated the effect of a school-based obesity prevention on the outcome of body mass index percentile (BMI%), with baseline weight class and ethnicity examined as moderators. METHODS: Participants (N = 125), ages 7-11 (56% female) from 4 urban, low-income, ethnic minority (58% black, 42% Latino) schools were recruited. Two schools received the Urban Initiatives Work to Play health intervention, and 2 demographically matched schools served as wait-list controls. RESULTS: Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze the independent and interactive effects of key variables on BMI%. An interaction between intervention status and ethnicity revealed Latino youth in the intervention had lower BMI% than those in the control group. Participation did not cause BMI% outcomes to decrease for black participants. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates the intervention is effective, but that the effectiveness varies across ethnicity. Interventions can be made more efficient and cost-effective by targeting youth of a common ethnicity that has shown empirical responsiveness to certain program elements.

Mediating effects of stress, weight-related issues, and depression on suicidality in college students.

OBJECTIVE: Through a holistic health lens, the current study examines the effects of weight-related issues and stress on suicidality while controlling for depressive symptoms in college students. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 872 undergraduate and graduate students at DePaul University completed the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II Web-based survey in Spring 2010. METHODS: Measures of suicidality, depression, weight-related issues, and life stressors were assessed, along with gender differences. RESULTS: Females reported experiencing more weight loss attempts and total stressors than males. Weight-related issues and stress both significantly predicted depressive symptoms in a path analysis; depressive symptoms, in turn, significantly predicted suicidality. Gender differences were found; depressive symptoms mediate the relation between stress and suicidal behavior for females but not for males. IMPLICATIONS: This investigation furthers previous research on suicidality in college students and suggests that all-inclusive interventions that address weight-related issues and stress may help reduce depressive symptoms, which then may reduce suicidal behavior.