Reducing Risk Factors for Childhood Obesity

Abstract

This study has sought to determine if the Tommie Smith Youth Athletic Initiative (TSYAI) intervention could decrease the risk factors for childhood obesity among children 5 to 10 years of age. The TSYAI intervention is a 14-week after-school intervention for students in Grades K-5 that was started during the spring of 2008. It serves 63 children in a predominantly African American elementary school. The intervention consists of supervised after-school sessions 3 days per week. These sessions include 2 days of physical activity (flexibility, resistance, and track-and-field training) and 1 day of 45 min of nutrition education modules based on the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change followed by 45 min of group physical activity. Ninety-two percent of the participants are African American and 60% are overweight or obese (>85th percentile BMI for age and gender). The findings indicate that the TSYAI intervention significantly improves the participant's cardiovascular fitness, body composition, and dietary habits.

A scoping review of school‐based anthropometric measurement

“…Within the US, use of the CDC reference, which includes numerous Fitnessgram® 92 studies that use the CDC reference, remains dominant. A single US study used a state‐specific reference (treated as country‐specific), 93 while two others used references detailed by the American Heart Association 94 and the American Academy of Pediatrics 95 …”

“…A single US study used a state-specific reference (treated as country-specific), 93 while two others used references detailed by the American Heart Association 94 and the American Academy of Pediatrics. 95 With respect to weight status criteria citation quality, just over half cited peer-reviewed research articles (n = 190, 52.9%), such as Kaczmarski et al (CDC), 13 Cole et al (IOTF), [14][15][16] de Onis (WHO), 17 or national criteria. A quarter cited websites or online reports (n = 90, 25.1%), nearly a fifth provided no weight status criteria citation (n = 69, 19.2%), and a small number provided an incorrect citation (n = 10, 2.7%; e.g., stated that they used IOTF criteria but cited the WHO criteria).…”

Impact of Baltimore Healthy Eating Zones

“…The childhood obesity intervention trial presented here is one of the first to work in multiple environments, outside of schools. The majority of obesity interventions targeting AA youth have primarily focused on changing the school environment (Greening, Harrell, Low, & Fielder, 2011; Naar-King et al, 2009; Newton et al, 2010; Perman et al, 2008; Topp et al, 2009), neglecting the important role of the community food environment. BHEZ sought to address this gap by implementing an intervention that sought to change the community food environment.…”

Sports Physiology in Adolescent Track-and-Field Athletes: A Narrative Review

“…Several studies examined the role of TAF in relationship to aspects related to physical education, such as physical activity levels in adolescence 58 and TAF within a physical education lesson 59 or after-school. 60 Tammelin et al noted that TAF was one of the sports that being practiced at adolescence associated with high or very high physical activity level at adulthood. 58 In another study, Tanaka et al 59 compared physical activity and sedentary time of different types of physical education lessons.…”

“…Considering the relationship of physical activity and obesity, Topp et al 60 examined the effect of a 14-week after-school training and nutritional intervention (three days/week including two days of flexibility, resistance, and TAF training) on risk factors for childhood obesity in children of age 5–10 years. In this sample consisted of 60% overweight or obese children, cardiovascular fitness, body composition and dietary habits improved during the exercise program.…”