Accelerometry-assessed daily physical activity and compliance with recommendations in Spanish children: importance of physical education classes and vigorous intensity.

Background: Physical activity (PA) is associated with numerous health benefits. Vigorous PA (VPA) may have a greater impact on public health than lower-intensity PA. The incorporation of a specific recommendation on VPA could complement and improve existing recommendations for average daily moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA). Physical education classes could have a positive impact on children's adherence to average daily physical activity recommendations. The aim was to investigate the association between MVPA and VPA in children, as well as adherence to recommendations, and obesity and the presence of physical education classes. Methods: A cross-sectional study of physical activity was conducted in a sample of 8 and 9-year-old children in Andalusia (Spain). GENEActiv accelerometers were used, placed on the non-dominant wrist for at least eight consecutive days (24-h protocol). School days with and without physical education class, and weekend days were defined. ROC curves were used to calculate the threshold associated with obesity for average daily MVPA and VPA for recommendations. Results: A total of 360 schoolchildren were included in the analyses (184 girls). An average of 7.7 (SD 1.4) valid days per participant were evaluated, with 19.9 (SD 10.5) and 11.4 (SD 5.1) minutes of VPA performed by boys and girls respectively. 25.8% of the participants were classified with central obesity. The optimal threshold determined with ROC analysis was 12.5 and 9.5 minutes of average daily VPA for boys and girls, respectively (RecVPA), and 75 minutes of average daily MVPA for both sexes (RecMVPA). The RecVPA showed stronger association with obesity. On school days with physical education class, compared to days without this class, children showed increased VPA and MVPA engagement and better compliance with recommendations, with smaller differences in adherence according to sex or obesity. Conclusions: On days with physical education class, more physical activity was accumulated at all intensities and greater adherence to the recommendations than on days without this class. VPA had a stronger correlation with the absence of obesity than lower-intensity activity. It was also observed that boys were physically more active and had higher adherence to the recommendations than girls.

Adherence to the WHO recommendation of three weekly days of vigorous intensity activities in children: an accelerometry study of vigorous physical activity bouts.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children and adolescents incorporate vigorous intensity activities (VIAs) at least three days a week. This recommendation has not been sufficiently studied using objective methods, such as accelerometry. Physical education classes and extracurricular sports activities are optimal opportunities for compliance with this recommendation. Objective: To identify VIAs through bouts of vigorous physical activity (VPA-Bouts) evaluated with accelerometry and, with this, to know the compliance with the recommendation on VIAs. Methods: A cross-sectional study of the habitual physical activity of 353 children (8-9 years old) was carried out using accelerometry and participation in organized extracurricular sports activities was asked through a questionnaire. School days with and without physical education class, weekends, and the average weekly day were identified, as well as school time and out-of-school time. A VPA-Bout was defined as an interval of at least 60 minutes with a proportion of VPA of at least 16.7% in boys and 12.5% in girls (10.0 and 7.5 minutes/hour of VPA, respectively). Results: The average daily time in organized extracurricular sports activities declared by questionnaire and the average daily duration of the VPA-Bouts evaluated with accelerometers in the extracurricular period was 21.3 (SD 19.8) and 23.9 (SD 31.2) minutes, respectively, in boys, whereas, in girls it was 20.2 (SD 17.4) and 11.0 (SD 16.9) minutes, respectively. In school time including a physical education class, there was a higher proportion of VPA-Bouts than without these classes (with: 28.6%, without: 2.1%, p < 0.001). Children who reported at least three weekly hours of organized extracurricular sports activities accumulated a higher proportion of school afternoons with VPA-Bouts than those with fewer weekly hours of this type of activities (≥3 hours/week: 27.5%, <3 hours/week: 9.3%, p < 0.001). On the weekend, boys who reported at least three weekly hours of organized extracurricular sports activities performed more VPA-Bouts than those participating in less weekly hours, while in girls no significant differences were observed (weekend; boys, ≥3 hours/week: 26.0%, <3 hours/week: 9.0%, p < 0.001; girls: 8.3%, 8.0%, p = 0.917). Compliance with the recommendation to incorporate VIAs at least three days a week was 23.8%. Children who reported at least three weekly hours of extracurricular sports activities achieved higher compliance than those who reported fewer extracurricular activities (≥3 hours/week: 35.1%, <3 hours/week: 12.7%, p < 0.001). Additionally, boys showed higher compliance rates than girls (boys: 32.9%, girls: 15.3%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: One in every four children met the WHO recommendation to incorporate VIAs at least three days a week, as evaluated by accelerometry. Physical education classes and extracurricular organized sports activities contributed to compliance with this recommendation.

[Impact of a brief educational intervention about nutrition and healthy lifestyles to school students given by a healthcare provider]. / Impacto de una intervención educativa breve a escolares sobre nutrición y hábitos saludables impartida por un profesional sanitario.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is an important health concern worldwide. Spain has one of the highest pediatric obesity rates among European countries, and they are increasing, which mandates the development of innovative strategies aimed at reverting this trend and decreasing the health problems related to obesity and the considerable waste of resources foreseen for the upcoming years. OBJECTIVES: To determine if an educational intervention from a health professional would yield an additional benefit in the acquisition of knowledge on nutrition. A second objective was to determine the prevalence of weight excess as well as the lifestyle habits in a sample of school students. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Analytical, interventional, random, longitudinal, pilot study in a sample of 107 students aged 9-15 years. The weight, height, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, level of physical activity and sedentarism, and knowledge on feeding and healthy lifestyles were estimated through a questionnaire. In an intervention group (54 students) a short educational intervention was carried out by a health professional. Two months later, the knowledge on diet and lifestyle habits was reassessed in all the students. RESULTS: After the educational intervention, the students in the intervention group had better knowledge regarding feeding and healthy lifestyles than the control students, and this difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: the additional educational activities on healthy lifestyles within the scholar program given by a health professional may represent an additional benefit to the strategies aimed at decreasing pediatric obesity in our setting.

Introducción: La obesidad es un importante problema de salud a nivel mundial. España tiene una de las cifras más altas de obesidad infantil de Europa y están aumentando, lo que obliga a desarrollar estrategias innovadoras que reviertan esta tendencia y disminuyan los problemas de salud asociados a la obesidad y el enorme consumo de recursos que se prevé en los años venideros. Objetivos: Determinar si una intervención educativa por parte de un profesional sanitario aporta un beneficio adicional en la adquisición de conocimientos en materia de nutrición. Secundariamente determinar prevalencia de exceso de peso así como los hábitos de vida en una muestra de escolares. Material y métodos: Estudio piloto longitudinal analítico y de intervención aleatorizado por bloques realizado en una muestra de 107 alumnos de entre 9-15 años. Se estimaron mediante encuesta peso, talla, adherencia a la Dieta Mediterránea, grado de actividad física y sedentarismo, y conocimientos en alimentación y hábitos de vida saludables. Sobre un grupo de intervención (54 alumnos) se realizó una intervención educativa breve por parte de un profesional sanitario. Dos meses después se reevaluaron los conocimientos de alimentación y hábitos de vida saludables en todos los alumnos. Resultados: Después de la intervención educativa los alumnos del grupo de intervención poseen más conocimientos relativos a alimentación y hábitos de vida saludables que los alumnos del grupo control, y esta diferencia es estadísticamente significativa. Conclusiones: Las actividades educativas de apoyo dentro del programa escolar de estilos de vida saludable por parte de profesionales sanitarios pueden suponer un beneficio adicional en las estrategias encaminadas a disminuir la obesidad infantil en nuestro medio.

Impacto de una intervención educativa breve a escolares sobre nutrición y hábitos saludables impartida por un profesional sanitario / Impact of a brief educational intervention about nutrition and healthy lifestyles to school students given by a healthcare provider

Introducción: La obesidad es un importante problema de salud a nivel mundial. España tiene una de las cifras más altas de obesidad infantil de Europa y están aumentando, lo que obliga a desarrollar estrategias innovadoras que reviertan esta tendencia y disminuyan los problemas de salud asociados a la obesidad y el enorme consumo de recursos que se prevé en los años venideros. Objetivos: Determinar si una intervención educativa por parte de un profesional sanitario aporta un beneficio adicional en la adquisición de conocimientos en materia de nutrición. Secundariamente determinar prevalencia de exceso de peso así como los hábitos de vida en una muestra de escolares. Material y métodos: Estudio piloto longitudinal analítico y de intervención aleatorizado por bloques realizado en una muestra de 107 alumnos de entre 9-15 años. Se estimaron mediante encuesta peso, talla, adherencia a la Dieta Mediterránea, grado de actividad física y sedentarismo, y conocimientos en alimentación y hábitos de vida saludables. Sobre un grupo de intervención (54 alumnos) se realizó una intervención educativa breve por parte de un profesional sanitario. Dos meses después se reevaluaron los conocimientos de alimentación y hábitos de vida saludables en todos los alumnos. Resultados: Después de la intervención educativa los alumnos del grupo de intervención poseen más conocimientos relativos a alimentación y hábitos de vida saludables que los alumnos del grupo control, y esta diferencia es estadísticamente significativa. Conclusiones: Las actividades educativas de apoyo dentro del programa escolar de estilos de vida saludable por parte de profesionales sanitarios pueden suponer un beneficio adicional en las estrategias encaminadas a disminuir la obesidad infantil en nuestro medio (AU)

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is an important health concern worldwide. Spain has one of the highest pediatric obesity rates among European countries, and they are increasing, which mandates the development of innovative strategies aimed at reverting this trend and decreasing the health problems related to obesity and the considerable waste of resources foreseen for the upcoming years. OBJECTIVES: To determine if an educational intervention from a health professional would yield an additional benefit in the acquisition of knowledge on nutrition. A second objective was to determine the prevalence of weight excess as well as the lifestyle habits in a sample of school students. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Analytical, interventional, random, longitudinal, pilot study in a sample of 107 students aged 9-15 years. The weight, height, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, level of physical activity and sedentarism, and knowledge on feeding and healthy lifestyles were estimated through a questionnaire. In an intervention group (54 students) a short educational intervention was carried out by a health professional. Two months later, the knowledge on diet and lifestyle habits was reassessed in all the students. RESULTS: After the educational intervention, the students in the intervention group had better knowledge regarding feeding and healthy lifestyles than the control students, and this difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: the additional educational activities on healthy lifestyles within the scholar program given by a health professional may represent an additional benefit to the strategies aimed at decreasing pediatric obesity in our setting (AU)