Evaluation of an obesity prevention program for school-aged children in deprived urban areas

• Published in: Archives de pédiatrie : organe officiel de la Société française de pédiatrie 2014-07, Vol.21 (7), p.727-735
• Main Authors: François, P, Guyomard, A, Baudet, D, Dubois-Fabing, D, Boussuges, S, Perrin, F, Seigneurin, A
• Format: Article
• Language: fre
• Subjects: Body Mass Index; Child; Child, Preschool; Controlled Before-After Studies; Dietary Services; Exercise; Feeding Behavior; Female; Follow-Up Studies; France - epidemiology; Humans; Male; Overweight - epidemiology; Pediatric Obesity - epidemiology; Pediatric Obesity - prevention & control; Poverty Areas; School Health Services; Urban Population; Weight Reduction Programs
• ISSN: 1769-664X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.arcped.2014.04.026

Increasing prevalence of obesity particularly affects underprivileged families and children. This study aimed to estimate the efficiency of an obesity prevention program for school-aged children in deprived urban areas. This was an intervention trial with a before-and-after comparison of a cohort of school-aged children in preschool and primary school in three deprived urban areas in Grenoble, France. All school-aged children in the first and third year of preschool and the third year of primary school during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years, whose parents agreed to participate in the study, were included. Children were seen again 2 years later. The staff of the school health service measured and weighed the children during a medical check-up, thus determining their body mass index (BMI) and Z score. A school doctor suggested specific care to the parents of overweight children. A lifestyle questionnaire was completed. The primary outcome was changes in BMI and the Z score over 2 years. The secondary outcome was changes in lifestyle and eating habits. A total of 2434 children were included in the screening campaign. Of the 2434 children included in screening, 1824 children were reviewed and evaluated at 2 years. At inclusion, overweight prevalence increased with age, from 6.4% in the first year of preschool to 21.9% in the third year of primary school. More than 60% of overweight children had a high social vulnerability score. Prevalence of overweight increased from 13.8% to 21.5% in 2 years in the entire cohort (P