JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Obesity is a chronic low-intensity state of inflammation with metabolic alterations that, when acquired during childhood, lead to severe illness in adults. Encouraging healthy eating habits and physical activity is the basis for preventing and treating obesity and its complications.

Objective:

To evaluate how a comprehensive intervention promoting healthy eating habits and physical activities in schools affects children’s metabolic biomarkers.

Methods:

Of four Mexico City primary schools in this study, two groups of children that were recruited at their schools were assigned to a 12-month intervention group (IG) and the other two were assigned to control groups (CGs). The intervention had two components: (1) parents/schoolchildren attended in-person educational sessions promoting healthy eating and physical activity habits, and were provided printed information; and (2) parents were able to seek information through a website, and also received brief weekly mobile phone text messages. Anthropometric measurements and fasting blood samples were taken from both groups of children at baseline and again after 12 months.

Results:

The study involved 187 children in the IG and 128 in the CG. Regardless of each child's nutritional status at the beginning of the study, the intervention improved metabolic parameters; the IG showed a negative effect on glucose concentrations (–1.83; CI 95% –3.06 to -0.60), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (–2.59; CI 95% –5.12 to –0.06), insulin (–0.84; CI 95% –1.31 to –0.37), and homeostasis model to assess the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR; –0.21; CI 95% –0.32 to –0.09) in comparison to the CG. HOMA-IR improved in children who had higher than baseline body mass index z-scores.

Conclusions:

Intervention through multiple components that promoted healthier eating and physical activity habits improved the metabolic parameters of the children in the study after one year, regardless of their nutritional status.