| Abstrakt: |
Background. Cardiovascular disease begins in childhood and this can be correlated with the presence of risk factors in adults. It is reasonable to initiate healthful lifestyle training in childhood to promote improved cardiovascular health in adult life. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based program designed to reduce specific modifiable risk factors for preventing cardiovascular diseases. Methods. The sample was 343 students (160 boys, 183 girls) aged 12-16 years from the prefecture of Larissa, Greece. The duration of intervention was 1 school year. The practical part of intervention took place during the class of physical education, while the theoretical part took place in the classroom. Measurements were taken at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the intervention. The following parameters were measured: weight, height, blood pressure, heart rate, components of the Healthy Eating Index, VO2max, Fitnessgram test battery (1 mile run-walk, trunk lift, push up, curl up, back saver sit and reach). Results. There were significant differences between the school-groups in the 1 mile run walk (p<0,001), 90o push up test (p<0,001), Healthy Eating Index (p<0,001), fruit component (p<0,001), saturated fat intake (p<0,05) and variety component (p<0,001). In the intervention group there was significant increase in VO2max (p<0,05), in the weight (p<0,001), in the Healthy Eating Index (p<0,05), in the trunk lift test (p<0,001), in the push up test (p<0,05), in the sit and reach test (p<0,001) and in the component of fruits (p<0,001), while there was significant reduction in the 1 mile run walk test (p<0,001), in the body mass index (p<0,05) and in the component of saturated fat (p<0,05). Conclusion. The intervention program was successfully implemented in schools and there were many significant and positive effects. These results highlight the importance of multicomponent programs for the prevention of CVD in schools. Additional studies are needed to evaluate more precisely the effectiveness of school-based interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
