Healthy Buddies™ Reduces Body Mass Index Z‐Score and Waist Circumference in Aboriginal Children Living in Remote Coastal Communities

Abstract

The HB program is a promising school-based strategy for addressing obesity and self-esteem in Aboriginal children.

The effects of school-based physical activity interventions on students' health-related fitness knowledge: A systematic review

“…Concerning the intervention effects on students' health-related fitness knowledge, 27 (79.4%) of the selected studies had positive intervention effects, and seven studies (20.6%) (Demetriou, Sudeck, & H€ oner, 2014;Gorely, Nevill, Morris, Stensel, & Nevill, 2009;Morris, Gorely, Sedgwick, Nevill, & Nevill, 2013;Mott et al, 1991;Plotnikoff et al, 1999;Ronsley, Lee, Kuzeljevic, & Panagiotopoulos, 2013;Zaremba-Morgan et al, 2014) reported no significant effects. Overall, it is striking that the information provided when presenting the study results is mostly restricted on whether the statistical tests reached significance when analysing students' health-related fitness knowledge levels.…”

Child and youth participatory interventions for addressing lifestyle‐related childhood obesity: a systematic review

“…Six of 10 studies that reported a weight‐related measure as a primary outcome reported significant improvements. Three studies, including one 5‐month and two 10‐month interventions, reported significant decreases on measured body mass index (BMI) or BMI z ‐score . Also, one study each reported significant decreases in percent overweight or obese (at 11 months) , waist circumference (at 10 months) and weight (at 12 weeks) .…”

Incorporating physical activity‐based interventions in school psychology research and practice: A systematic review

“…In‐class physical activity : Most studies focused on in‐class physical activity where students engaged in movement breaks during instructional time (i.e., Fedewa, Ahn, Erwin, & Davis, ; Harvey et al, ; Melnyk et al, , ; Mullender‐Wijnsma et al, ; Ronsley, Lee, Kuzeljevic, & Panagiotopoulos, ; Shoval & Shulruf, ). Three of these studies involved elementary‐aged students engaging in physical activity during classroom time while integrating classroom concepts (Fedewa et al, ; Harvey et al, ; Mullender‐Wijnsma et al, ; Shoval & Shurluf, ).…”

“…The remaining studies (Melnyk et al, , ; Ronsley et al, ) integrated physical activity within existing wellness curricula. Two studies by the same lead author (i.e., Melnyk et al, , ) evaluated the effectiveness of the COPE Healthy Lifestyles TEEN program, an intervention that combines cognitive behavioral therapy with embedded physical activity.…”

“…The other study, conducted by Ronsley et al () evaluated a school‐wide wellness promotion framework implemented in three schools in remote North American Aboriginal communities, with one school serving as the control location. The program encompassed physical activity, nutrition, and healthy body image concepts, promoting mentor–mentee relationships between older and younger students.…”