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Vega-Salas MJ, Murray C, Nunes R, Hidalgo-Arestegui A, Curi-Quinto K, Penny ME, Cueto S, Lovegrove JA, Sánchez A, Vimaleswaran KS. School environments and obesity: a systematic review of interventions and policies among school-age students in Latin America and the Caribbean. Int J Obes (Lond) 2023; 47:5-16. [PMID: 36216909 PMCID: PMC9549440 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-022-01226-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The rapid rise in obesity rates among school children in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) could have a direct impact on the region's physical and mental health, disability, and mortality. This review presents the available interventions likely to reduce, mitigate and/or prevent obesity among school children in LAC by modifying the food and built environments within and around schools. METHODS Two independent reviewers searched five databases: MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature for peer-reviewed literature published from 1 January 2000 to September 2021; searching and screening prospective studies published in English, Spanish and Portuguese. This was followed by data extraction and quality assessment using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2) and the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I), adopting also the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Due to the heterogeneity of the intervention's characteristics and obesity-related measurements across studies, a narrative synthesis was conducted. RESULTS A total of 1342 research papers were screened, and 9 studies were included; 4 in Mexico, and 1 each in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. Four studies reported strategies for modifying food provision; four other targeted the built environment, (modifying school premises and providing materials for physical activity); a final study included both food and built environment intervention components. Overall, two studies reported that the intervention was significantly associated with a lower increase over time in BMI/obesity in the intervention against the control group. The remaining studies were non-significant. CONCLUSIONS Data suggest that school environmental interventions, complementing nutritional and physical education can contribute to reduce incremental childhood obesity trends. However, evidence of the extent to which food and built environment components factor into obesogenic environments, within and around school grounds is inconclusive. Insufficient data hindered any urban/rural comparisons. Further school environmental intervention studies to inform policies for preventing/reducing childhood obesity in LAC are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Jesús Vega-Salas
- Carrera de Nutrición y Dietética, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 7820436, Chile.
- Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DZ, UK.
| | - Claudia Murray
- Department of Real Estate and Planning, Henley Business School, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6UD, UK.
| | - Richard Nunes
- Department of Real Estate and Planning, Henley Business School, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6UD, UK
| | - Alessandra Hidalgo-Arestegui
- Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DZ, UK
| | | | - Mary E Penny
- Instituto de Investigación Nutricional (IIN), Lima, 15024, Peru
| | - Santiago Cueto
- Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo (GRADE), Lima, 15063, Peru
- Departamento de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru, Lima, 15088, Peru
| | - Julie Anne Lovegrove
- Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DZ, UK
- Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH), University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AH, UK
| | - Alan Sánchez
- Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo (GRADE), Lima, 15063, Peru
| | - Karani Santhanakrishnan Vimaleswaran
- Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DZ, UK
- Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH), University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AH, UK
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Weigel MM, Armijos RX. The Ecuadorian School Food Environment: Association With Healthy and Unhealthy Food and Beverage Consumption and BMI. Food Nutr Bull 2022; 43:439-464. [PMID: 35993259 DOI: 10.1177/03795721221116447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schools can play an important role in promoting healthy child diet and body weight. However, this issue is understudied in Latin American and other populations undergoing nutrition and epidemiologic transition. OBJECTIVES 2018 Ecuadorian National Health and Nutrition Survey data were used to examine the association of school food sources with healthy and unhealthy food intake and body mass index (BMI) in primary (n = 12632) and secondary students (n = 6617). METHODS Data on school food environment characteristics were collected by questionnaire, intakes of fruits, vegetables, plain water, sweetened beverages, processed snacks, and fast foods by food frequency questionnaire, and BMI using measured weight and height. Data were analyzed using multivariable methods. RESULTS The major school food sources were competitive foods sold by commercial outlets (73%), School Breakfast Program (SBP; 52%), and home-packed items (37%). Most (69%) competitive food outlets sold fruits and vegetables but only 44% offered free clean drinking water and 60% sold prohibited "red traffic light" foods. Primary and secondary students who bought competitive foods consumed sweetened beverages, processed snacks, and fast food more frequently than nonpurchasers (P = .0001). Those who packed home foods had higher fruit and vegetable intakes (P = .0001). Plain water intakes were reduced among all SBP participants (P = .0001). However, primary students in the SBP consumed fast foods less frequently (P = .0001) and had lower average BMI and odds for being obese compared to nonparticipants (P = .0001). CONCLUSION The findings from this nationally representative study underscore the important contribution of the school food environment to child nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Margaret Weigel
- Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Global Environmental Health Research Laboratory, Indiana University-Bloomington School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Indiana University Center for Global Health, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Rodrigo X Armijos
- Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Global Environmental Health Research Laboratory, Indiana University-Bloomington School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Indiana University Center for Global Health, Bloomington, IN, USA
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Aceves-Martins M, López-Cruz L, García-Botello M, Gutierrez-Gómez YY, Moreno-García CF. Interventions to Prevent Obesity in Mexican Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2022; 23:563-586. [PMID: 34725762 PMCID: PMC9072495 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-021-01316-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of overweight and obesity has been rising among Mexican children and adolescents in the last decades. To systematically review obesity prevention interventions delivered to Mexican children and adolescents. Thirteen databases and one search engine were searched for evidence from 1995 to 2021. Searches were done in English and Spanish to capture relevant information. Studies with experimental designs, delivered in any setting (e.g., schools or clinics) or digital domains (e.g., social media campaigns) targeting Mexican children or adolescents (≤ 18 years) and reporting weight outcomes, were included in this review. In addition, the risk of bias was appraised with the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool. Twenty-nine studies with 19,136 participants (3-17 years old) were included. The prevalence of overweight and obesity at baseline ranged from 21 to 69%. Most of the studies (89.6%) were delivered in school settings. The duration ranged from 2 days to 3 school years, and the number of sessions also varied from 2 to 200 sessions at different intensities. Overall, anthropometric changes varied across studies. Thus, the efficacy of the included studies is heterogeneous and inconclusive among studies. Current evidence is heterogeneous and inconclusive about the efficacy of interventions to prevent obesity in Mexican children and adolescents. Interventions should not be limited to educational activities and should include different components, such as multi-settings delivery, family inclusion, and longer-term implementations. Mixed-method evaluations (including robust quantitative and qualitative approaches) could provide a deeper understanding of the effectiveness and best practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magaly Aceves-Martins
- The Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK.
| | - Lizet López-Cruz
- Universidad Europea del Atlántico, Parque Científico Y Tecnológico de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres 21, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Marcela García-Botello
- Universidad de Monterrey, Zona Valle Poniente, Av. Ignacio Morones Prieto 4500, 66238, San Pedro Garza García, N.L, Mexico
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Chavez RC, Nam EW. School-based obesity prevention interventions in Latin America: A systematic review. Rev Saude Publica 2020; 54:110. [PMID: 33146300 PMCID: PMC7593024 DOI: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2020054002038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of school-based interventions to prevent obesity conducted in Latin America and provide suggestions for future prevention efforts in countries of the region. METHODS Articles published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese between 2000 and 2017 were searched in four online databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, LILACS, and REDALYC). Inclusion criteria were: studies targeting school-aged children and adolescents (6-18 years old), focusing on preventing obesity in a Latin American country using at least one school-based component, reporting at least one obesity-related outcome, comprising controlled or before-and-after design, and including information on intervention components and/or process. RESULTS Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most effective interventions (n = 3) had moderate quality and included multi-component school-based programs to promote health education and parental involvement focused on healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. These studies also presented a better study designs, few limitations for execution, and a minimum duration of six months. CONCLUSIONS Evidence-based prevention experiences are important guides for future strategies implemented in the region. Alongside gender differences, an adequate duration, and the combined use of quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, evidence-based prevention should be considered to provide a clearer and deeper understanding of the true effects of school-based interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eun Woo Nam
- Yonsei University . Yonsei Global Health Center . Wonju City , Republic of Korea.,Yonsei University . Graduate School . Department of Health Administration . Wonju City , Republic of Korea
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Mustafa N, Abd Majid H, Toumpakari Z, Carroll HA, Yazid Jalaludin M, Al Sadat N, Johnson L. The Association of Breakfast Frequency and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Factors among Adolescents in Malaysia. Nutrients 2019; 11:nu11050973. [PMID: 31035361 PMCID: PMC6567224 DOI: 10.3390/nu11050973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Breakfast frequency is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in Western populations, possibly via the types of food eaten or the timing of food consumption, but associations in Malaysian adolescents are unknown. While the timing of breakfast is similar, the type of food consumed at breakfast in Malaysia differs from Western diets, which allows novel insight into the mechanisms underlying breakfast-CVD risk associations. We investigated foods eaten for breakfast and associations between breakfast frequency and CVD risk factors in the Malaysian Health and Adolescents Longitudinal Research Team study (MyHeARTs). Breakfast (frequency of any food/drink reported as breakfast in 7-day diet history interviews) and CVD risk factors (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure) were cross-sectionally associated using linear regression adjusting for potential confounders (n = 795, age 13 years). Twelve percent of adolescents never ate breakfast and 50% ate breakfast daily, containing mean (SD) 400 (±127) kilocalories. Commonly consumed breakfast foods were cereal-based dishes (primarily rice), confectionery (primarily sugar), hot/powdered drinks (primarily Milo), and high-fat milk (primarily sweetened condensed milk). After adjustment, each extra day of breakfast consumption per week was associated with a lower BMI (-0.34 kg/m2, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.02, -0.66), and serum total (-0.07 mmol/L 95% CI -0.02, -0.13) and LDL (-0.07 mmol/L 95% CI -0.02, -0.12) cholesterol concentrations. Eating daily breakfast in Malaysia was associated with slightly lower BMI and total and LDL cholesterol concentrations among adolescents. Longitudinal studies and randomized trials could further establish causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norashikin Mustafa
- Centre for Exercise Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TZ, UK.
| | - Hazreen Abd Majid
- Centre for Population Health (CePH) and Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia.
| | - Zoi Toumpakari
- Centre for Exercise Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TZ, UK.
| | - Harriet Amy Carroll
- Centre for Exercise Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TZ, UK.
| | - Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Nabilla Al Sadat
- Centre for Population Health (CePH) and Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Laura Johnson
- Centre for Exercise Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TZ, UK.
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Persaud N, Steiner L, Woods H, Aratangy T, Wanigaratne S, Polsky J, Hwang S, Chahal G, Pinto A. Health outcomes related to the provision of free, tangible goods: A systematic review. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213845. [PMID: 30893372 PMCID: PMC6426236 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Free provision of tangible goods that may improve health is one approach to addressing discrepancies in health outcomes related to income, yet it is unclear whether providing goods for free improves health. We systematically reviewed the literature that reported the association between the free provision of tangible goods and health outcomes. METHODS A search was performed for relevant literature in all languages from 1995-May 2017. Eligible studies were observational and experimental which had at least one tangible item provided for free and had at least one quantitative measure of health. Studies were excluded if the intervention was primarily a service and the free good was relatively unimportant; if the good was a medication; or if the data in a study was duplicated in another study. Covidence screening software was used to manage articles for two levels of screening. Data was extracted using an adaption of the Cochrane data collection template. Health outcomes, those that affect the quality or duration of life, are the outcomes of interest. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42017069463). FINDINGS The initial search identified 3370 articles and 59 were included in the final set with a range of 20 to 252 246 participants. The risk of bias assessment revealed that overall, the studies were of medium to high quality. Among the studies included in this review, 80 health outcomes were statistically significant favouring the intervention, 19 health outcomes were statistically significant favouring the control, 141 health outcomes were not significant and significance was unknown for 28 health outcomes. INTERPRETATION The results of this systematic review provide evidence that free goods can improve health outcomes in certain circumstances, although there were important gaps and limitations in the existing literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nav Persaud
- Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Liane Steiner
- Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Hannah Woods
- Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tatiana Aratangy
- Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Jane Polsky
- Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stephen Hwang
- Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gurleen Chahal
- Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andrew Pinto
- Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- The Upstream Lab, Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Gamboa-Delgado EM, González de Cossío T, Colchero-Aragonés A. [Obesity risk in preschoolers beneficiaries of food aid programs]. Rev Salud Publica (Bogota) 2017; 18:643-655. [PMID: 28453068 DOI: 10.15446/rsap.v18n4.42444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To review the evidence regarding the potential impact of food programs on the risk of obesity in beneficiary children. Methods The search was conducted in databases using terms in Spanish and English. Those items that included the variable of interest, cross sectional studies, cohort or community trials were selected. Results Food assistance programs could contribute to increased obesity rates in the target population due to the availability and easier access to food with high energy content, either through the delivery of provisions or cash. However, the impact of the programs on this outcome has been little studied and evaluations have been mostly in adults or school-age children. Conclusion This review contributes to knowledge about the possible effect that food programs have on the risk of obesity in beneficiary children. This review may also serve as a reference for the design, implementation and evaluation of food and nutrition programs in countries of low and middle income facing malnutrition.
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Quintero-Gutiérrez AG, González-Rosendo G, Rodríguez-Murguía NA, Reyes-Navarrete GE, Puga-Díaz R, Villanueva-Sánchez J. Omisión del desayuno, estado nutricional y hábitos alimentarios de niños y adolescentes de escuelas públicas de Morelos, México. CYTA - JOURNAL OF FOOD 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/19476337.2013.839006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Evaluación de los comedores comunitarios en Tizimín, Yucatán, México: percepciones y propuestas del personal y beneficiarios. ENFERMERÍA UNIVERSITARIA 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/s1665-7063(13)72641-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Williams AJ, Henley WE, Williams CA, Hurst AJ, Logan S, Wyatt KM. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between childhood overweight and obesity and primary school diet and physical activity policies. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2013; 10:101. [PMID: 23965018 PMCID: PMC3844408 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5868-10-101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a major public health concern and there are increasing calls for policy intervention. As obesity and the related health conditions develop during childhood, schools are being seen as important locations for obesity prevention, including multifaceted interventions incorporating policy elements. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of policies related to diet and physical activity in schools, either alone, or as part of an intervention programme on the weight status of children aged 4 to 11 years. A comprehensive and systematic search of medical, education, exercise science, and social science databases identified 21 studies which met the inclusion criteria. There were no date, location or language restrictions. The identified studies evaluated a range of either, or both, diet and physical activity related policies, or intervention programmes including such policies, using a variety of observational and experimental designs. The policies were clustered into those which sought to affect diet, those which sought to affect physical activity and those which sought to affect both diet and physical activity to undertake random effects meta-analysis. Within the diet cluster, studies of the United States of America National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs were analysed separately; however there was significant heterogeneity in the pooled results. The pooled effects of the physical activity, and other diet related policies on BMI-SDS were non-significant. The multifaceted interventions tended to include policy elements related to both diet and physical activity (combined cluster), and although these interventions were too varied to pool their results, significant reductions in weight-related outcomes were demonstrated. The evidence from this review suggests that, when implemented alone, school diet and physical activity related policies appear insufficient to prevent or treat overweight or obesity in children, however, they do appear to have an effect when developed and implemented as part of a more extensive intervention programme. Additional evidence is required before recommendations regarding the focus of policies can be made and therefore, increased effort should be made to evaluate the effect of policies and policy containing intervention programmes upon weight status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew James Williams
- Institute of Health Services Research, University of Exeter Medical School (formerly Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry), Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, EX2 4SG, Exeter, Devon, UK.
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Rampersaud GC. Benefits of Breakfast for Children and Adolescents: Update and Recommendations for Practitioners. Am J Lifestyle Med 2008. [DOI: 10.1177/1559827608327219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A number of studies report health benefits for children and adolescents who consume breakfast. Breakfast skipping is fairly common in children and adolescents and increases as children age. Breakfast can enhance children's diets by positively contributing to daily nutrient intake, augmenting intake of key nutrients such as fiber and calcium, and provides an opportunity to help meet the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Breakfast also is associated with more healthful food choices. Cross-sectional studies support that eating breakfast more often may help children and adolescents maintain a healthful weight. However, the results from longitudinal studies are inconclusive and suggest that more research is needed to clarify this relationship, including understanding the mediating effects of initial weight status, dieting behavior, and physical activity levels. Breakfast consumption may provide some benefit toward cognitive function and academic achievement, but more research is needed. Breakfast is one facet of a healthy lifestyle that may help contribute to the short- and long-term health and well-being of children and adolescents. Health practitioners can promote healthy breakfast consumption in children and adolescents by addressing barriers to eating breakfast and focusing on individuals who may be more likely to skip breakfast on a regular basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail C. Rampersaud
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville,
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