Abstract

VASCONCELOS, Marta et al. Project obesity zero effect on physical activity and sedentary behaviors on school children. Nutrícias [online]. 2012, n.14, pp.05-08. ISSN 2182-7230.

Introduction: Childhood obesity is considered by World Health Organization as a serious public health concern. Low levels of physical activity, short sleep duration and the increase of sedentary behaviors are associated with childhood obesity. Objectives: Assess the effect of a community and family based project - Project Obesity Zero (POZ) - in nutritional status of children and sleep duration, physical activity and television viewing/use of computer in school-age children. Methodology: POZ was developed in 2009 in 5 municipalities of Portugal (Melgaço, Mealhada, Cascais, Beja and Silves) articulated with Healthcare Centres and local governments. Nutritional status of children were classified according to the age and gender specific and Body Mass Index (BMI) 2000 CDC Growth Reference and the information about sleep duration, physical activity and television viewing/use of computer was collected from the questionnaire about food habits, food behaviors and nutrition knowledge directed to parents. Descriptive and analytic statistics were made. A p-value Results: From the 293 children evaluated, 80,4% decreased their BMI percentile (p Conclusions: This project seems to confirm the efectiveness of community and family based projects in the prevention of childhood obesity, enphatizing the importance of increase sleep duration and exercise and decrease sedentary behaviors like watching television and using the computer in order to improve nutritional status of children.

Keywords : Physical activity; Television; Computer; Sleep duration; Project Obesity Zero.

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