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Gansterer A, Moliterno P, Neidenbach R, Ollerieth C, Czernin S, Scharhag J, Widhalm K. Effect of a Web-Based Nutritional and Physical Activity Intervention With Email Support (the EDDY Program) on Primary School Children's BMI Z-Score During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Intervention Study. JMIR Pediatr Parent 2024; 7:e50289. [PMID: 39298741 PMCID: PMC11426922 DOI: 10.2196/50289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 mitigation measures enhanced increases in children's weight and BMI due to decreased physical activity and increased energy intake. Overweight and obesity were major worldwide problems before the pandemic, and COVID-19 increased their severity even more. High BMI directly correlates with health disadvantages including cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, and mental health diseases. Therefore, it is vitally important to develop counteracting interventions to maintain children's health during exceptional situations like pandemics. However, worldwide data from such interventions are limited, and to our knowledge, no suitable study has been carried out during the pandemic in Austria. Objective This study was conducted to examine a 15-week web-based intervention with email support, the EDDY (Effect of Sports and Diet Trainings to Prevent Obesity and Secondary Diseases and to Influence Young Children's Lifestyle) program and the effect of nutritional education and physical activity on children's BMI z-score during the COVID-19 pandemic in Vienna, Austria. Methods The intervention consisted of 3 weekly videos-2 physical activity and 1 nutritional education video, respectively-and a biweekly email newsletter for the parents. This study was conducted in a Viennese primary school from February to June 2021 by a team of physicians, nutritionists, and sports scientists, including both professionals and students. The study population included an intervention group (who received web-based nutritional and physical activity training) and a control group (who received no intervention), comprising in total 125 children aged 8 to 11 years. Due to COVID-19 mitigation measures, the control group was a comparative group observed during the prior school year (2019-2020). Anthropometric measurements were obtained before and after the intervention in both groups. Results Due to a high dropout rate (n=57, 45.6%) because of the mitigation measures, there were 41 children in the intervention group and 27 in the control group. At baseline, the BMI z-score was 1.0 (SD 1.1) in the intervention group and 0.6 (SD 1.2) in the control group (P=.17). After the study period, the BMI z-score decreased by 0.06 (SD 0.21) in the intervention group, whereas it increased by 0.17 (SD 0.34) in the control group (P<.001). Comparing the change in BMI z-scores within BMI categories in the intervention group and control group revealed a statistically significant difference in the normal-weight children (P=.006). Further results showed that the decrease in BMI z-score was significant in the intervention group among both boys (P=.004) and girls (P=.01). Conclusions A web-based intervention with combined nutritional education and physical activity training might be an adequate tool to lessen the enhanced increase in body weight during a pandemic. Therefore, additional studies with greater sample sizes and different locations are needed. As the implementation of such intervention programs is essential, further studies need to be established rapidly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rhoia Neidenbach
- Sports Medicine, Exercise Physiology and Prevention, Department of Sport and Human Movement Science, Centre for Sport Science and University Sports, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Caroline Ollerieth
- Sports Medicine, Exercise Physiology and Prevention, Department of Sport and Human Movement Science, Centre for Sport Science and University Sports, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Czernin
- Austrian Academic Institute for Nutrition, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juergen Scharhag
- Sports Medicine, Exercise Physiology and Prevention, Department of Sport and Human Movement Science, Centre for Sport Science and University Sports, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kurt Widhalm
- Austrian Academic Institute for Nutrition, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Medicine III, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Moliterno P, Donhauser V, Widhalm K. Childhood Obesity Trends among 8-11-Year-Olds: Insights from a School Sample in Vienna, Austria (2017-2023). CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:431. [PMID: 38671648 PMCID: PMC11049460 DOI: 10.3390/children11040431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
In Austria, childhood obesity is a public health concern. This study examined time trends in the percentage of obesity among a sample of schoolchildren from Vienna (2017-2023). The body mass index percentiles of 326 children [9.3 years old (95% CI 8.3-10.5, min-max 8.0-10.9] from the EDDY study were calculated for trend analyses. Trend analysis was performed using a logistic regression using overweight and obesity as dependent binary variables, and study year and age as independent continuous variables. The percentage change over time was calculated, including the first period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Obesity percentages increased from 23.5 (95% CI 15.1-31.9)% in 2017 to 25.0 (95% CI 12.2-37.8)% in 2023. From 2017 to 2023, while overweight/obesity percentages decreased by 25.9 (-59.5-15.6)%, obesity increased by 6.4 (-51.2-94.9)%. A non-significant trend (p ≥ 0.38) was observed. During the first period of the pandemic, the percentage changes in overweight/obesity and obesity were 68.4 (5.6-187.9)% and 29.2 (-37.3-166.8)%, respectively. The current percentage of obesity in this sample is high and peaked in 2020 during the pandemic. These findings emphasize the need for future investigations considering the representativeness of the school-aged population in Austria to gain a broader picture of overweight and obesity trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Moliterno
- Austrian Academic Institute for Clinical Nutrition, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (P.M.); (V.D.)
| | - Victoria Donhauser
- Austrian Academic Institute for Clinical Nutrition, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (P.M.); (V.D.)
| | - Kurt Widhalm
- Austrian Academic Institute for Clinical Nutrition, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (P.M.); (V.D.)
- Division of Clinical Nutrition and Prevention, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Silva C, Vilas C, Pereira B, Rosário P, Fuentes S, Magalhães P. Changes in Physical Fitness Parameters in a Portuguese Sample of Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A One-Year Longitudinal Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3422. [PMID: 36834116 PMCID: PMC9965852 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Due to a worldwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many changes were imposed on individuals' daily lives, including those related to the physical activity of children and adolescents. The present study aims to comprehend the impact of early COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on Portuguese adolescents' physical fitness parameters during two school years. A total of 640 students from the 5th to the 12th grades participated in the longitudinal study. Data on body composition, aerobic fitness, speed, agility, lower and upper body strength, and flexibility were collected at three moments: 1. before the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2019); 2. after the COVID-19 lockdown when the schools reopened delivering in-person classes (October 2020), and 3. two months after the in-person classes started (December 2020). To analyze the overall changes between the three moments and between two age groups, we conducted repeated measure ANOVAs. The main findings indicate that participants' body composition (i.e., waist circumference) and aerobic fitness (i.e., maximal oxygen uptake) deteriorated after the first lockdown but improved two months after the in-person classes started. However, the same did not happen to neuromuscular fitness (i.e., horizontal Jumps and Sit and Reach). These findings suggest that the COVID-19 lockdown may have negatively impacted adolescents' physical fitness, particularly older adolescents. Altogether, data reinforce the importance of in-person classes and school context in promoting adolescents' physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia Silva
- Department of Applied Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4710-052 Braga, Portugal
| | - Catarina Vilas
- Department of Applied Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4710-052 Braga, Portugal
| | - Beatriz Pereira
- Department of Applied Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4710-052 Braga, Portugal
| | - Pedro Rosário
- Department of Applied Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4710-052 Braga, Portugal
| | - Sonia Fuentes
- Facultad de Educación y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Central de Chile, Santiago 530-598, Chile
| | - Paula Magalhães
- Department of Applied Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4710-052 Braga, Portugal
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Azrak MÁ, Fasano MV, Avico AJ, Sala M, Casado C, Padula M, Kruger AL, Malpeli A, Andreoli MF. Prolonged body weight gain, lifestyle changes and health-related quality of life in children during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: A follow-up study. Eur J Clin Nutr 2022; 77:460-467. [PMID: 36510000 PMCID: PMC9744372 DOI: 10.1038/s41430-022-01252-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Further investigation is needed to define the impact of long-term pandemic lockdown in children. OBJECTIVES To examine changes in body mass index z-score (zBMI), lifestyle, Health-Related Quality of Life and proportion of overweight or obesity (OW/OB) in 6- to 9-year-old children in Argentina. METHODS Observational study with baseline measurements prior to lockdown and follow-up after eight months of strict restrictive measures (November 2020, first visit, n = 144) and after ten months of partial reopening (September 2021, second visit, n = 108). Anthropometric changes from baseline to first visit in lockdown group (LG) were compared with a historical control group (HCG, n = 134). Follow-up visits included anthropometric measures, lifestyle questionnaire and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. RESULTS Change in zBMI was higher in LG [median, IQR: 0.46 (-0.00; 0.83)] vs HCG [median, IQR: 0.02 (-0.31; 0.27)]; p < 0.001, particularly in children with pre-existing OW/OB. In LG, zBMI was higher at first and second visit vs baseline (p < 0.001) and in second visit vs first visit for boys (p = 0.037) but not for girls. The proportion of children with OW/OB increased from baseline (43.5%) to first (56.5%) and second visit (58.3%) (p = 0.029). Unlike girls, the proportion of boys with OW/OB increased from baseline to first and second visit (p = 0.045). Change in zBMI was higher in children with less healthy habits (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Weight gain continued to increase in boys when lockdown measurements were eased, although sedentary behaviors decreased and quality of life improved, indicating that the effects of pandemic lockdown could be difficult to reverse.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Ángeles Azrak
- Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (IDIP) Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri. HIAEP “Sor María Ludovica” de La Plata - CIC-PBA. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Victoria Fasano
- Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (IDIP) Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri. HIAEP “Sor María Ludovica” de La Plata - CIC-PBA. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina ,grid.9499.d0000 0001 2097 3940Centro de Matemática de La Plata (CMaLP), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, UNLP - CIC-PBA. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Julia Avico
- Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (IDIP) Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri. HIAEP “Sor María Ludovica” de La Plata - CIC-PBA. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marisa Sala
- Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (IDIP) Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri. HIAEP “Sor María Ludovica” de La Plata - CIC-PBA. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carla Casado
- Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (IDIP) Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri. HIAEP “Sor María Ludovica” de La Plata - CIC-PBA. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcela Padula
- Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (IDIP) Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri. HIAEP “Sor María Ludovica” de La Plata - CIC-PBA. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Luz Kruger
- Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (IDIP) Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri. HIAEP “Sor María Ludovica” de La Plata - CIC-PBA. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina ,grid.423606.50000 0001 1945 2152CONICET. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina Malpeli
- Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (IDIP) Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri. HIAEP “Sor María Ludovica” de La Plata - CIC-PBA. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María F. Andreoli
- Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (IDIP) Prof. Dr. Fernando E. Viteri. HIAEP “Sor María Ludovica” de La Plata - CIC-PBA. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina ,grid.423606.50000 0001 1945 2152CONICET. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Lee EJ, Seo DI, Lee SM, Kim JH. Changes in Physical Fitness among Elementary and Middle School Students in Korea before and after COVID-19. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11712. [PMID: 36141984 PMCID: PMC9517052 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed to analyze changes in health-related physical fitness among Korean elementary and middle school students before (2019) and after (2021) the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection was completed by requesting the physical activity promotion system (PAPS) data from elementary and middle school students. This information is obtained annually by the Goyang Office of Education in Gyeonggi-do, Korea. The collected data were measured in 2019 and 2021. Data were collected from 17,000 children in the fifth and sixth grades of elementary school and about 24,000 boys and girls in the first, second, and third grades of middle school. Chi-square analyses were used to examine data from each school's health-related physical fitness examinations. Our results indicated that physical fitness levels were significantly lower in 2021 than in 2019 across the following six areas: cardiorespiratory endurance, power, muscular strength, flexibility, obesity, and overall health-related physical fitness (p < 0.05). In addition, the ratio of students with excellent physical fitness (PAPS Grades 1 and 2) significantly decreased from 2019 to 2021, while the ratio of students with poor physical fitness (PAPS Grades 3, 4, and 5) increased (p < 0.05). In addition, there were some differences according to grade and gender. Discussions regarding the impact of decreases in physical activity on physical fitness, interpretations of physical fitness in the context of a pandemic, and practical measures that can be implemented to improve health and fitness among children and adolescents in such situations remain essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eui-Jae Lee
- Department of Physical Education, Graduate School of Education, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Korea
| | - Dong-il Seo
- Department of Health and Exercise Science, Dongguk University, Gyeongju-si 38066, Korea
| | - Seung-Man Lee
- Department of Physical Education, College of Education, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Jong-Hyuck Kim
- Department of Medical Beauty Care, Jungwon University, Goesan-gun 28024, Korea
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