Do school-based physical activity interventions increase or reduce inequalities in health

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4778392
AutoresKerry A Vander Ploeg (University of Alberta), Katerina Maximova (0000-0001-9842-1927, University of Alberta), Jonathan Mcgavock (0000-0002-3741-5248, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba), Wendy Davis (0000-0003-4521-0688, University of Alberta), Paul J Veugelers (0000-0001-8996-0822, University of Alberta), Paul Veugelers
Año2014
Volumen112
Páginas80-87
Fecha de publicación2014-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSocial Science & Medicine (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0277-9536 • E-ISSN: 1873-5347
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.04.032
PMID24820223
OpenAlexW2109624323
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas22
Referencias citadas62

Little is known about the effectiveness of school-based health promotion on physical activity inequalities among children from low-income areas. This study compared the two-year change in physical activity among 10-11 year-old children attending schools with and without health promotion programs by activity level, body weight status, and socioeconomic backgrounds to assess whether health promotion programs reduce or exacerbate health inequalities. This was a quasi-experimental trial of a Comprehensive School Health (CSH) program implemented in schools located in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In the spring of 2009 and 2011, pedometer (7 full days) and demographic data were collected from cross-sectional samples of grade five children from 10 intervention and 20 comparison schools. Socioeconomic status was determined from parent self-report. Low-active, active, and high-active children were defined according to step-count tertiles. Multilevel linear regression methods adjusted for potential confounders were used to assess the relative inequity in physical activity and were compared between groups and over-time. In 2009, a greater proportion of students in the intervention schools were overweight (38% vs. 31% p = 0.03) and were less active (10,827 vs. 12,265 steps/day p < 0.001). Two years later, the relative difference in step-counts between intervention and comparison schools reduced from -15.5% to 0% among low-active students, from -13.4% to 0% among active students, and from -15.1% to -2.7% among high-active students. The relative difference between intervention and comparison schools reduced from -11.1% to -1.6% among normal weight students, from -16.8% to -1.4% among overweight students, and was balanced across socioeconomic subgroups. These findings demonstrate that CSH programs implemented in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods reduced inequalities in physical activity. Investments in school-based health promotion are a viable, promising, and important approach to improve physical activity and prevent childhood obesity, and may also reduce inequalities in health

Disadvantaged · Environmental health · Health promotion · Obesity · Overweight · Pedometer · Physical activity · Physical therapy · Population · Psychological intervention · Public health · Socioeconomic status · Demography · Health and Lifestyle Studies · Medicine · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Physical Activity and Health · Gerontology