Researchers from Basel in Switzerlandcarried carried out a cross-sectional analysis of 502 first and fifth graders and measured cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and PA and noted the neighbourhood (rural vs urban) environment. Outcome measures included BMI, sum of four skinfold thicknesses, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and a standardised clustered metabolic risk score. CONCLUSION: Reduced CRF, low PA and an urban environment are independently associated with an increase in metabolic risk markers in children.
Archive for category Environment
2064 children carried an actigraph accelerometer for 7 days and filled in a food questionnaire. Results indicate that almost 70% of children meet national PA guidelines, indicating that a prevention of decline, rather than increasing physical activity levels, might be an appropriate intervention target. Promotion of daily fruit and vegetable intake in this age group is also warranted, possibly focussing on children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research will over the next five years work with its partners to fund peer-reviewed research and training projects in the area of physical activity and health including: 1) Examining the personal and environmental factors that influence the uptake and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. 2) Evaluating mechanisms for translating evidence into sustainable public policy.
A UK university lecturer has been given £5,000 to study the health benefits of the Nintendo Wii. Michael Duncan will work with schoolchildren for six weeks to see if the popular games console can improve fitness and tackle obesity.
144 children at 7 elementry schools in California were followed. There was significantly more discouragement of physical activity during organized adult-led sessions (29%) as compared to the free play sessions (6%). The quality of after-school programs can be improved by providing fruits and vegetables as snacks; offering more free play activities; training the after-school staff in simple, structured games for use in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings; and training after-school moderate and vigorous physical activity and healthful eating in and out of the after-school setting.
A lifetime cost-effectiveness analysis from a societal perspective was conducted to estimate the costs, health gains, and cost-effectiveness (dollars per quality-adjusted life year gained, relative to no intervention) of seven public health interventions to promote physical activity. Cost-effectiveness ratios ranged between $14,000 and $69,000 per QALY gained.
Promoting Health Equity: A Resource to Help Communities Address Social Determinants of Health
Nov 16
This workbook is for community-based organizations seeking to affect the social determinants of health through community-based participatory approaches and nontraditional partnerships.
3831 kids aged 3–16 years who lived at the same address for 24 consecutive months in Indiana were follwed. Greenness may present a target for environmental approaches to preventing child obesity since higher greenness was significantly associated with lower BMI z-scores regardless of residential density characteristics. This study will be published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine in December.
Manchester is one of the new UK healthy towns. In their pilot project it’s likely they will pay overweight parents to walk their children to school. Under the scheme people who exercise would receive supermarket-style vouchers to spend on sports gear and healthy food.
Nine areas will all match the government funding to develop a host of schemes related to cycling, walking, healthy eating and green spaces.