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Health Education Research Advance Access originally published online on October 10, 2006
Health Education Research 2006 21(6):911-921; doi:10.1093/her/cyl115
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Evaluation of a 2-year physical activity and healthy eating intervention in middle school children

Leen Haerens1,*, Benedicte Deforche1, Lea Maes2, Greet Cardon1, Veerle Stevens3 and Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij1

1 Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Watersportlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
2 Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
3 Flemish Institute For Health Promotion, 1020 Brussels, Belgium

* Correspondence to: L. Haerens. E-mail: Leen.Haerens{at}UGent.be

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a middle school physical activity and healthy eating intervention, including an environmental and computer-tailored component, and to investigate the effects of parental involvement. A random sample of 15 schools with seventh and eight graders was randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (i) intervention with parental involvement, (ii) intervention alone and (iii) control group. In 10 schools, an intervention, combining environmental changes with computer-tailored feedback, was implemented over 2 school years. In five intervention schools, increased parental support was added. Physical activity was measured with questionnaires in the total sample and with accelerometers in a sub-sample of children. Fat intake, fruit, water and soft drink consumption were measured using food-frequency questionnaires. Results showed significant positive intervention effects on physical activity in both genders and on fat intake in girls. Parental involvement did not increase intervention effects. It can be concluded that physical activity and eating behaviours of middle school children can be improved by school-based strategies combining environmental and personal interventions. The use of personalized computer-tailored interventions seems to be a promising tool for targeting adolescents but needs to be further explored.


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