News from PHR

School intervention for improving childhood diet and exercise levels

News release from NETSCC, Public Health Research
09 May 2011

New research funded by the NIHR PHR programme is tackling low levels of exercise and poor diet in 9-10 year olds by examining the effectiveness of a school-based intervention that teaches lessons about diet and exercise.

The intervention – Active For Life Year 5 (AFLY5) - teaches children lessons about the importance of a healthy diet and exercise and involves parents in homework activities that reinforce these messages. Lead researcher Professor Debbie Lawlor of the University of Bristol has been working on piloting the intervention for three years with teachers, parents and over 1000 children in 35 schools.

“Children are less active and eat more unhealthy diets now than children did 20-30 years ago. Regular exercise and a healthy diet with at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables are important for normal growth and normal development of bones and muscles. They are also important to prevent childhood obesity, which is recognised as an important issue. It is important to try to tackle obesity at an early age in order to prevent its occurrence later in life. ” says Professor Lawlor.

The team will examine how effective the intervention is in increasing physical activity, reducing sedentary behaviour and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. The study will provide important information about how to improve children’s health in a cost-effective way via schools.

Children will be asked to wear an accelerometer for five days which will measure the level of physical activity and sedentary behaviour. It will detail amounts and intensities of the movements children undertake.

Professor Lawlor adds, “We think it is important to know whether school-based interventions have a lasting effect. Previous studies have relied upon children or their parents reporting how active they are. We will objectively assess activity and sedentary behaviour with small devices that children wear around their waists and we have already proved that this is possible in our pilot study. We will also assess these outcomes a year after the end of the intervention to see if there is a lasting effect.”

The study will be located in and around Bristol and will work with children in Year five at state primary and junior schools.

To view the project page click here