Evaluation of project promoting health in adolescents

Ferreira, Jovino Oliveira; Jardim, Paulo César Brandão Veiga; Peixoto, Maria do Rosário Gondim

doi:10.1590/S0034-8910.2013047004120

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate a program promoting exercise and healthy eating among adolescents.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study of 911 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years old in public schools in Goiania, Midwestern Brazil, 2010. The participants were divided into two groups: intervention (schools taking part in the Healthy Living, project) and control. The following were deemed to be exercise: displacement, physical education classes in school, physical activity outside school, and leisure-time physical activity. Pupils who totaled 300 or more minutes per week were defined as active. Consuming protective foods five or more days a week was classified as adequate intake. Statistical analyses made using the Chi-square test.

RESULTS

Most adolescents were identified as inactive or insufficiently active, 65.7% in the Intervention Group and 65.2% Control Group, showing no significant differences between groups, and with higher prevalence among girls. Slightly more than half of adolescents consumed health protective foods 5 or more days a week, 56.6% in the Intervention Group and 50.4% in the Control Group (p = 0.373).

CONCLUSIONS

There were no differences between schools in the Intervention Group and Control Group with regard to food choices and physical activity. This indicates that the Healthy Living project needs to be reevaluated to improve the effectiveness in achieving its objectives.

Adolescent ; Motor Activity ; Sedentary Lifestyle ; Feeding Behavior ; Adolescent Behavior ; Health Promotion

[1] The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interests.

Variable		Total		Intervention group		Control group		p

		n	%	n	%	n	%

Sex
	Male	492	54.0	412	53.3	80	57.9	0.310
	Female	419	46.0	361	46.7	58	42.0
Age group (years)
	13 to 14	672	74.0	575	74.3	97	70.2	0.314
	15 to 18	239	26.0	198	25.6	41	29.7
Time of study
	Day	817	89.7	694	89.7	123	89.1	0.817
	Evening	94	10.3	79	10.2	15	10.8

Variable		Total		Intervention group		Control group		p

		n	%	n	%	n	%

Level of physical activity
	Inactive/ Not sufficiently active	598	65.6	508	65.7	90	65.2	0.909
	Active	313	34.3	265	34.7	48	34.7	0.909
Consumption of protective foods^b
	Not consumed	279	31.7	233	31.2	46	34.5	0.373
	Insufficient consumption	110	12.5	90	12.0	20	15.0
	Recommended consumption	489	55.6	422	56.6	67	50.3
Frequency of consumption of non-protective foods^c (days)
	Not consumed	502	55.5	429	55.9	73	53.6	0.313
	1 to 4	363	40.2	309	40.2	54	39.7
	5 or more	38	4.2	29	3.7	9	6.6
Body Mass Index
	Underweight	23	2.5	22	2.9	1	0.7	0.134
	Normal weight	658	73.8	565	74.6	93	69.4
	Overweight	145	16.2	119	15.7	26	19.4
	Obese	65	7.3	51	6.7	14	10.4

Variable		Male				Female

		Intervention		Control		Intervention		Control
		n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%

Level of PA^b		p = 0.473				p = 0.185
	Inactive/Not sufficiently active	224	54.3	40	50.0	284	78.6	50	86.2
	Active	188	45.6	40	50.0	77	21.3	8	13.7
Time spent doing PA outside of school, with an instructor or teacher		p = 0.059				p = 0.154
	No PA outside of school with an instructor or teacher	147	42.1	19	30.1	194	63.1	42	76.3
	Fewer than 300 min.	138	39.5	35	55.5	99	32.2	12	21.8
	300 min. or more	64	18.3	9	14.2	14	4.5	1	1.8
Time spent doing PA outside of school, without an instructor or teacher		p = 0.973				p = 0.133
	No PA outside of school without an instructor or teacher	98	25.4	19	26.7	172	49.8	36	64.2
	Fewer than 300 min.	187	48.5	34	47.8	141	40.8	16	28.5
	300 min. or more	100	25.9	18	25.3	32	9.2	4	7.1
Consumption of protective foods^c		p = 0.875				p = 0.147
	Not consumed	104	26.4	22	29.3	129	36.6	24	41.3
	Insufficient consumption	59	15.0	11	14.6	31	8.8	9	15.5
	Recommended consumption	230	58.5	42	56.0	192	54.5	25	43.1
Frequency of consumption of non-protective foods^d (days)		p = 0.167				p = 0.283
	Not consumed	211	51.5	44	56.5	218	60.8	29	50.0
	1 to 4	186	45.4	29	37.1	123	34.3	25	43.1
	5 or more	12	2.9	5	6.4	17	4.7	4	6.9