Impact of the adoption of physical activity and healthy nutrition strategies in Neiva’s schoolchildren Impacto de la adopción de estrategias de actividad física y alimentación saludable en escolares de Neiva

Abstract

This study’s object was to determine the impact that the adoption of nutrition and physical activity strategies has for the promotion of healthy habits, as well as the contributions in life style changes in the prevalence of overweightness/obesity in primary school students from the educational institution “María Cristina Arango de Pastrana” in the city of Neiva through a 3 months longitudinal follow-up with a total of 87 school children.

In the investigative process 4 questionnaires were used: the first one, about identification of the strategies adopted by directives and teachers; the second one, concerning physical activity; the third one, about food consumption frequency; and the fourth one was funded on the effectiveness of the strategies used for the promotion of healthy nutrition and regular exercise on school children. Also, a digital balance and a measuring rod were used to get the nutritional status of each school children. Weight and size were measured, and the nutritional status was assessed through BMI, the Body Mass Index, for kids in Z-score (between 5 and 17 years old), besides their nutrition and exercise habits.

After 3 months, the application of the questionnaires was repeated on the same group of school children, whose changes in life style were analyzed beside their overweightness/obesity prevalence. Strategies such as the prohibition of sale and advertising of low nutritious value food, the development of capacities for parents, among other, were identified and adopted. After the strategy application the percentage of the sample that showed overweightness decreased from 38% to 33%. A reduction of the daily consumption of sweetened beverages was observed, it went from 48,2% to 5,7%, also, the exercising level increased a significantly 12%.

The adoption of strategies for promoting healthy habits in school must be recognized as a big help in the changing of nutrition and physical activities habits in the prevalence of overweightness/obesity in school children.