Obesity Rates Lower in Healthy Living Schools

A new study funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Information's Canadian Population Health Initiative shows that Nova Scotia schools with a comprehensive healthy living program had significantly lower rates of overweight and obese students than schools without such a program. The study, published February 22nd, in the American Journal of Public Health, reports that only 4% of fifth-grade students enrolled in schools following a comprehensive healthy living program were obese-versus 10% of fifth-grade students in schools with a less comprehensive program or with no program at all.

"We know that reaching children during critical periods of growth is key to long-term good health and helps lower the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood," says Dr. Paul Veugelers, a professor from the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Alberta and the lead researcher on this study. "This research points to evidence that establishing healthy behaviours at a young age is possible, and schools can play an important role in reducing childhood obesity and promoting healthy eating."

Launched in 2003, the Children's Lifestyle and School-Performance Study (CLASS) surveyed 5,200 fifth-grade students in a sample of Nova Scotia schools, along with the students' parents and school principals. Researchers collected height and weight measurements and information on physical and sedentary activities and assessed dietary intake using a questionnaire developed at Harvard University.

Most of the students (70%) attended a school without a nutrition program. Of those whose school did have a nutrition program, 26% attended a school with nutrition policies and practices but no comprehensive healthy living program, and 3% attended a school participating in the Annapolis Valley Health Promoting Schools Project, a healthy living program that adopts many of the school-based recommendations developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S.

Researchers found striking differences between schools following the CDC guidelines and schools that have nutrition policies but no coordinated healthy living strategy or no nutrition programs at all. Taking into account students' gender, the socioeconomic characteristics of their parents and the areas where they live, students in schools participating in the comprehensive healthy living strategy were less than half as likely to be overweight or obese, ate more fruits and vegetables and had higher overall diet quality than students in the other schools.

"The rates of obesity are higher for this generation of children than they were for these children's parents-so it is important to look at what works," says Jennifer Zelmer, Vice President of Research and Analysis at CIHI. "This study shows that healthy eating programs that are part of a comprehensive healthy living strategy are more effective than nutrition programs alone."

Coordinated School Health Program Model
The coordinated school health program model, developed by the CDC, is based on the philosophy that a comprehensive approach is necessary to address the health needs of children. The model promotes a nutrition program implemented by qualified children's nutrition professionals within a broader healthy living strategy that also includes health education, physical education, health services, health promotion for school staff, counselling and psychological services, a healthy school environment and parent/community involvement.

For more information, visit the CDC Web site.

Canadian Population Health Initiative
The Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI), which is part of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), funded the research described in this media release. CPHI supports research to advance knowledge on the determinants of health in Canada and to develop policy options to improve population health and reduce health inequalities. CPHI is working with partners across the country to support strategies for reducing obesity, and will be releasing a report on healthy weights in 2006.

Canadian Institute for Health Information
The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is an independent, pan-Canadian, not-for-profit organization working to improve the health of Canadians and the health care system by providing quality health information. CIHI's mandate, as established by Canada's health ministers, is to coordinate the development and maintenance of a common approach to health information for Canada. To this end, CIHI is responsible for providing accurate and timely information that is needed to establish sound health policies, manage the Canadian health system effectively and create public awareness of factors affecting good health.

Courtesy of Canadian Institute for He