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A community-based intervention increases physical activity and reduces obesity in school-age children in North Carolina.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Benjamin Neelon, SE; Namenek Brouwer, RJ; Østbye, T; Evenson, KR; Neelon, B; Martinie, A; Bennett, G
Published in: Child Obes
June 2015

BACKGROUND: Community-based interventions are promising approaches to obesity prevention, but few studies have prospectively evaluated them. The aim of this study was to evaluate a natural experiment—a community intervention designed to promote active living and decrease obesity within a small southern town. METHODS: In 2011, community leaders implemented the Mebane on the Move intervention—a community-wide effort to promote physical activity (PA) and decrease obesity among residents of Mebane, North Carolina. We measured child PA and BMI before and after the intervention, using a nearby town not implementing an intervention as the comparison. In total, we assessed 64 children from Mebane and 40 from the comparison community 6 months before, as well as 34 and 18 children 6 months after the intervention. We assessed PA with accelerometers worn for 7 days and calculated BMI z-scores using children's height and weight. We conducted multivariable linear regressions examining pre- to postintervention change in minutes of PA and BMI z-score, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: At follow-up, children in Mebane modestly increased their moderate-to-vigorous PA (1.3 minutes per hour; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.2, 2.3; p=0.03) and vigorous activity (0.8 minutes per hour; 95% CI: 0.1, 1.5; p=0.04) more than comparison children. In intervention children, BMI z-scores decreased 0.5 units (kg/m(2); 95% CI: -0.9, -0.02; p=0.045), compared to children in the comparison community. CONCLUSIONS: We observed positive effects on PA level and weight status of children in Mebane, despite high rates of attrition, suggesting that the community-based intervention may have been successful.

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Published In

Child Obes

DOI

EISSN

2153-2176

Publication Date

June 2015

Volume

11

Issue

3

Start / End Page

297 / 303

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Weight Loss
  • Pediatric Obesity
  • North Carolina
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Health Promotion
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Behavior
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Female
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Benjamin Neelon, S. E., Namenek Brouwer, R. J., Østbye, T., Evenson, K. R., Neelon, B., Martinie, A., & Bennett, G. (2015). A community-based intervention increases physical activity and reduces obesity in school-age children in North Carolina. Child Obes, 11(3), 297–303. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2014.0130
Benjamin Neelon, Sara E., Rebecca J. Namenek Brouwer, Truls Østbye, Kelly R. Evenson, Brian Neelon, Annie Martinie, and Gary Bennett. “A community-based intervention increases physical activity and reduces obesity in school-age children in North Carolina.Child Obes 11, no. 3 (June 2015): 297–303. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2014.0130.
Benjamin Neelon SE, Namenek Brouwer RJ, Østbye T, Evenson KR, Neelon B, Martinie A, et al. A community-based intervention increases physical activity and reduces obesity in school-age children in North Carolina. Child Obes. 2015 Jun;11(3):297–303.
Benjamin Neelon, Sara E., et al. “A community-based intervention increases physical activity and reduces obesity in school-age children in North Carolina.Child Obes, vol. 11, no. 3, June 2015, pp. 297–303. Pubmed, doi:10.1089/chi.2014.0130.
Benjamin Neelon SE, Namenek Brouwer RJ, Østbye T, Evenson KR, Neelon B, Martinie A, Bennett G. A community-based intervention increases physical activity and reduces obesity in school-age children in North Carolina. Child Obes. 2015 Jun;11(3):297–303.
Journal cover image

Published In

Child Obes

DOI

EISSN

2153-2176

Publication Date

June 2015

Volume

11

Issue

3

Start / End Page

297 / 303

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Weight Loss
  • Pediatric Obesity
  • North Carolina
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Health Promotion
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Behavior
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Female