Effectiveness of a Family Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Disadvantaged Areas—A Healthy Generation, a Controlled Pilot Study
Open Access
- 26 May 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Vol. 17 (11), 3794
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113794
Abstract
There are large social inequalities in health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a family intervention on physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST) in children and their parents. In this controlled pilot study, all 8–9-year-old children from four schools from a socioeconomically disadvantaged area in Sweden were invited and 67 children and 94 parents were included. The intervention was run by a foundation in co-operation with the municipality. The 9-month program included: (1) activity sessions, (2) healthy meals, (3) health information and (4) parental support groups. PA was primary outcome and ST was secondary outcome, measured by accelerometry. In total, 40 of the children (60%) and 45 of the adults (50%) had at least one day of valid accelerometer data at both baseline and follow-up. Significant intervention effects for the whole group were found in total PA (p = 0.048, mean difference (MD) intervention/control 150 counts per minute) and in vigorous PA (p = 0.02, MD 8 min/day) during the weekends. There were no differences between groups in the other PA variables or ST. This pilot study shows that it is possible to influence PA in families from a disadvantaged area through a family program.This publication has 39 references indexed in Scilit:
- Global physical activity levels: surveillance progress, pitfalls, and prospectsThe Lancet, 2012
- Extended international (IOTF) body mass index cut‐offs for thinness, overweight and obesityPediatric Obesity, 2012
- Comparison of Accelerometer Cut Points for Predicting Activity Intensity in YouthMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011
- Tracking of sedentary behaviours of young people: A systematic reviewPreventive Medicine, 2010
- Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youthInternational Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2010
- Associations between children's socioeconomic status, weight status, and sex, with screen-based sedentary behaviours and sport participationPediatric Obesity, 2009
- Calibration of two objective measures of physical activity for childrenJournal of Sports Sciences, 2008
- Amount of Time Spent in Sedentary Behaviors in the United States, 2003-2004American Journal of Epidemiology, 2008
- Physical Activity in the United States Measured by AccelerometerMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2008
- Effectiveness of interventions to promote physical activity in children and adolescents: systematic review of controlled trialsBMJ, 2007