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Improving weight status in childhood: results from the eat well be active community programs

International Journal of Public Health

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Abstract

Objectives

The eat well be active Community Programs (ewba) aimed to prevent obesity among children aged 0–18 years in two Australian communities from 2006 to 2010.

Methods

ewba was a multi-strategy intervention in children’s settings. The evaluation was quasi-experimental, including a before and after survey with intervention (INT) and non-randomised comparison (COMP) communities. Outcome measures included BMI-z score (zBMI) and overweight/obesity prevalence in children aged 4–5 years; and zBMI, waist circumference (WC) z-score and overweight/obesity prevalence in children aged10–12 years.

Results

After 3 years, among the 4–5 years old, mean zBMI was significantly lower in both INT (−0.20, p < 0.05) and COMP (−0.15, p < 0.05), however, changes were not significantly different between INT and COMP. There was a larger reduction in overweight/obesity prevalence in INT (−6.3 %) compared to COMP (−3.7 %) (p < 0.05, χ 2 test). In the 10–12 years old, mean zBMI did not change significantly in INT or COMP. There was a significant reduction in WC z-score in INT (−0.17, p < 0.05) but not in COMP (−0.10, p = NS), although not significantly different between INT and COMP (p = 0.092).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that the ewba community intervention had a moderate impact, showing modest improvements in weight status at 3-year follow-up.

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Acknowledgments

Project funding and support received from Health Promotion Branch, SA Health, Government of South Australia; Marian McAllister for contribution to project management and report writing; the entire ewba Community Programs team for their commitment to implementation and assistance with the evaluation; Prof Fiona Verity for contribution to evaluation design; All stakeholders, school principals and staff, students and their parents who contributed to this part of the evaluation; CYWHS for access to pre-school child data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Tahna Pettman

  2. Nutrition and Dietetics, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, 5001, Australia

    Anthea Magarey

  3. Health Promotion Branch, SA Health, Government of South Australia, PO Box 287, Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia

    Nadia Mastersson

  4. Exercise for Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia

    James Dollman

  5. Nutrition and Dietetics, and Discipline of Public Health, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, 5001, Australia

    Annabelle Wilson

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  1. Tahna Pettman
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Correspondence to Tahna Pettman.

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Pettman, T., Magarey, A., Mastersson, N. et al. Improving weight status in childhood: results from the eat well be active community programs. Int J Public Health 59, 43–50 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-013-0455-4

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