Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Paediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University, Puducherry, India

2 Department of OBG Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Deemed to be University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

3 Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Deemed to be University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The influence of western lifestyle such as high‑caloric dense food and sedentary
lifestyle has a great influence on Indian children, and the current prevalence of childhood overweight
in India ranges between 4% and 22%. The primary aim of the study was to determine the change
in growth parameters (waist circumference) as well as dietary behaviors at baseline and at the
end of first, third, sixth, and ninth months among overweight adolescent girls and boys following a
school‑based nutritional education program.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in 2019 in four urban schools at Puducherry
which were randomly assigned to study and control groups by lottery method, and 140 overweight
children aged 11–14 years were in the study group and 140 children were in the control group.
Simple random sampling method was used to select the samples A nutrition education program
highlighting the importance of balanced nutrition and the ill effects of obesity was imparted to students
in the study group through a PowerPoint presentation. As a means of reinforcement, posters and
pamphlets were distributed. The waist circumference and the mean calorie, protein, and fat intake
were assessed at baseline and at the first, third, sixth, and ninth months and compared between
groups using independent t test.
RESULTS: There was a statistically significant reduction in waist circumference in the study group
when compared to the control group at P < 0.05. A significant decrease in the calorie intake at
P < 0.001 and fat intake at P < 0.01 was observed in the study group. The protein intake in the study
group increased at the end of 9 months, which was significant at P < 0.001.
CONCLUSION: School‑based nutritional education program has been found to be a successful
intervention in controlling unnecessary weight gain among overweight adolescents.

Keywords

1. WHO. Healthy diet. Fact sheet N.394. World Health
Organization. 2015. Available from: http://www.who.int/
mediacentre/factsheets/fs394/en/accessed. [Last accessed on
2021 Nov 24].
2. In‑Iw S, Saetae T, Manaboriboon B. The effectiveness of
school‑based nutritional education program among obese
adolescents: A randomized controlled study. Int J Pediatr
2012;2012:608920.
3. Chhatwal J, Verma M, Riar SK. Obesity among pre‑adolescent
and adolescents of a developing country (India). Asia Pac J Clin
Nutr 2004;13:231‑5.
4. Pathak S, Modi P, Labana U, Khimyani P, Joshi A, Jadeja R,
et al. Prevalence of obesity among urban and rural school going
adolescents of Vadodara, India: A comparative study. Int J
Contemp Pediatr 2018;5:1355.
5. Rajan MA, Srinivasan R, Thaddeus A. Childhood obesity: The
Indian scenario compared with world wide. Curr Res Diabetes
Obes J 2018;5:1‑3.
6. Popkin BM, Adair LS, Ng SW. Global nutrition transition and
the pandemic of obesity in developing countries. Nutr Rev
2012;70:3‑21.
7. 2005 World Summit Outcome Document ‑ World Health Available
from: www.who.int ›hiv›universalaccess2010.
8. Shah P, Misra A, Gupta N, Hazra DK, Gupta R, Seth P,
et al. Improvement in nutrition‑related knowledge and
behaviour of urban Asian Indian school children: Findings
from the ‘Medical education for children/Adolescents
for Realistic prevention of obesity and diabetes and for
healthy aGeing’(MARG) intervention study. Br J Nutr
2010;104:427‑36.
9. Prelip M, KinslerJ, Le Thai C, Erausquin JT, Slusser W. Evaluation
of a school‑based multicomponent nutrition education program
to improve young children’s fruit and vegetable consumption.
J Nutr Educ Behav 2012;44:310‑8.
10. Birch L, Jennifer S, Savage JS, Ventura A. Influences on the
development of children’s eating behaviours: From infancy to
adolescence. Can J Diet Pract Res 2007;68:S51‑6.
11. Available from: www.who.int› growth ref › who2007_bmi_
for_age BMI‑for‑age (5‑19 years) – WHO. [Last accessed on
2021 Nov 23].
12. Available from: https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/
health‑and‑wellbeing/300618/nutrify‑india‑now‑app‑launched.
html. [Last accessed on 2021 Nov 23].
13. Sohani A, Chincholikar S, Patnaik B, Raje S. Obesity related indices
for screening of Obesity in adolescents. Indian J Community
Health 2015;27:304‑10.
14. Spolidoro JV, Pitrez Filho ML, Vargas LT, Santana JC, Pitrez E,
Hauschild JA, et al. Waist circumference in children and
adolescents correlate with metabolic syndrome and fat deposits
in young adults. Clin Nutr 2013;32:93‑7.
15. Chew CSE, Oh JY, Rajasegaran K, Saffari SE, Lim CMM, Lim SC,
et al. Evaluation of a group family‑based intervention programme
for adolescent obesity: The LITE randomised controlled pilot trial.
Singapore Med J 2021;62:39‑47.
16. Normayanti SJ, Prayitno A. The effect of nutrition education
on body mass index, waist circumference, mid‑upper arm
circumference and blood pressure in obese adolescents. Electron
J Gen Med 2020;17:em221.
17. Mohebbi B, Sabouri M, Tol A. Application of health education
and promotion theory‑based interventions on patients with
cardiovascular disease: A systematic review. J Edu Health Promot
2021;10:236.
18. Mohebbi B, Tafaghodi B, Sadeghi R, Tol A, Yekanenejad MS.
Factors predicting nutritional knowledge, illness perceptions,
and dietary adherence among hypertensive middle‑aged women:
Application of transtheoretical model. J Edu Health Promot
2021;10:212.
19. De La Haye K, D’Amico EJ, Miles JNV, Ewing B, Tucker JS.
Covariance among multiple health risk behaviors in adolescents.
PLoS One 2014;9:1‑5.
20. Allen KN, Taylor JS, Kuiper R. Effectiveness of nutrition
education on fast food choices in adolescents. J Sch
Nurs 2007;23:337‑41.
21. Ahmed LL, Albanna HI, Lafi SY. Effectiveness of an educational
program on eating habit among overweight and obese female
students in preparatory schools in Sulaimani City/Kurdistan
Region‑Iraq. Ann Rom Soc Cell Biol 2021;25:18499‑508.
22. Alsubaie AS. An Assessment of nutrition education in
primary schools and its effect on students dietary behaviors
and body mass index in Saudi Arabia. Majmaah J Health Sci
2017;5:45‑56.