Effectiveness on physical activity indicators of an intervention delivered to high school students

• Published in: Revista brasileira de cineantropometria & desempenho humano 2014-01, Vol.16, p.13-24
• Main Authors: Del Duca, Giovani Firpo, de Barros, Mauro Virgilio Gomes, Silva, Kelly Samara, Garcia, Leandro Martin Totaro, Bezerra, Jorge, Nahas, Markus Vinicius
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• ISSN: 1415-8426; 1980-0037
• DOI: 10.5007/1980-0037.2014v16s1p13

High schools represent a favorable environment for the development of interventions to increase physical activity because they reach a large number of teenagers. The goal of the study was to determine the effectiveness of an intervention to promote physical activity among high school students (through the 'Saude na Boa' project) through assessing the stages of behavior change and the practices of muscle-strengthening exercise and active commuting. The present study comprised a randomized and controlled intervention conducted in Recife and Florianopolis, Brazil, during 2006. Dependent variables included active commuting (cutoff values: [> or =]1 and [> or =] 5 days per week), the practice of muscle-strengthening exercises (cutoff values: [> or =]1 day per week and the recommended level of physical activity), and behavioral changes regarding physical activity. Of the 2,155 students included in the baseline data, 989 were evaluated in the post-intervention period (45.9%). In comparison with the control group, the intervention group significantly increased the practice of active commuting to school on [> or =] 1 day per week (80.5% vs. 86.8%, p or =] 5 days per week (64.3% vs. 71.9%, p or =] 1 day per week (41.4% vs. 46.0%, p=0.017), and the achievement of the recommended levels of exercise (28.9% vs. 35.0%, p=0.002). The intervention group reached higher stages of change in physical activity behavior compared with controls (p = 0.004). The 'Saude na Boa' project effectively enhanced the practices of active commuting to school and muscle-strengthening exercises and resulted in an increased physical activity status.Original Abstract: A escola e um local favoravel ao desenvolvimento de intervencoes para o aumento da atividade fisica devido a possibilidade de alcancar simultaneamente grande numero de individuos. O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a efetividade de uma intervencao para promocao da atividade fisica (projeto Saude na Boa) em relacao aos estagios de mudanca do comportamento, pratica de exercicios de forca e do deslocamento ativo em estudantes do ensino medio. Trata-se de uma intervencao randomizada e controlada, realizada em Florianopolis e Recife durante o ano letivo de 2006. Foram investigados o deslocamento ativo (pontos de corte: [> or =]1 e [> or =]5 dias/semana), a pratica de exercicios de forca (pontos de corte: [> or =] 1 dia/semana e alcance as recomendacoes relacionad