Introduction
- Almost 20% of children between 2 and 18 years old affected
- Unhealthy lifestyle, inactivity, and harmful dietary habits
- Ineffective school-based interventions
- Efficient school-based programs are needed
- More physical activity during school hours
The Spirit of Inquiry Ignited
- False beliefs concerning childhood obesity
- Comorbidity of obesity
- Parental lifestyles and dietary habits
- BMI explained
- Effectiveness of BMI
The PICOT Question Formulated
- P – Children
- I – participate in 30 minutes of physical activity every day
- C – and how it compares to a day without it
- O – according to the body mass index
- T – which is measured after the end of an academic year which is typically 8 months
Search Strategy Conducted
- The use of online journals
- The studies and opinions of scientists, pediatricians, and therapists
- The focus on interventions and programs for obese children and those at risk
- BMI as an effective tool to determine a child’s health status
- Effective interventions are necessary
Critical Appraisal of the Evidence Performed
- Physical activity ensures BMI loss (Coimbra et al., 2017)
- The ineffectiveness of primary-school programs (Tarro et al., 2014)
- The benefits of physical activity (Pbert et al., 2016)
- Ineffectiveness of a specific school-based intervention (Larsen et al., 2016)
- The need for a comprehensive approach
Evidence Integrated with Clinical Expertise and Patient Preferences to Implement the Best Practice
- The purpose of the study: the relationship between additional physical activity in school and students’ BMI
- The exact extent to which the intervention is effective compared to no intervention
- Can 30 minutes suffice?
- A school year as an appropriate period for data collection
- Stakeholders include students and educators
Evaluation Plan
- 18 months for the intervention
- Measuring the participants’ BMI
- Analyzing questionnaires and interviews
- Analyzing the opinions of students, educators, parents
- Peers’ opinion analysis
- Starting the discussion of the effectiveness of the intervention in question and other programs for the target population
Methods
- Theoretical Framework
- Design
- Confidentiality
- Sample/Setting/Procedure
- Instrument
Theoretical Framework
- The importance of the theoretical framework for an EBP project
- Conceptual framework: lifestyle transformations, academic activity, obesity, and school-based intervention
- Self-care theory: transforming students’ ability to maintain proper BMI
- Neuman’s Systems Model: the collaboration of parents, educators, students, and healthcare staff
- Schools as the platform for the change
Design
- Mixed method research
- Quasi-experimental design
- Convenience sampling enables to ensure the participants’ motivation to change (which can make the program effective)
- BMI as a dependent variable
- Intervention as an independent variable
Confidentiality
- Participants’ names coding
- Personal data safety and proper storage
- No access to the participants’ personal data
- Participants will be able to withdraw at any point
- The written informed consent signed by parents
Sample/Setting/Procedure
- Obese children and students willing to participate as the participants
- Setting: a school-based intervention
- Period: 18-month intervention
- The provision of training for educators who will be involved
- Parental involvement through the participation in physical activities developed for the participants
Instrument
- Measuring BMI
- Analyzing questionnaires to elicit opinions and attitudes
- Interviews to obtain more detailed accounts
- Comparing the results of obese and non-obese students
- The use of data analysis software to facilitate data reliability
The Outcome of the Practice Change Evaluated
- Measuring the participants’ BMI
- Questionnaires for the participants
- Interviews to elicit opinions and attitudes
- Obese children and those who are willing to avoid health issues
- Comparing BMI of the two groups
Project Dissemination
- Supervisors and managers as reviewers
- Analyzing feedback from different to improve the intervention
- Developing programs and conducting other studies
- Informing parents
- The collaboration of educators, healthcare staff, and parents
Conclusion
- Childhood obesity as a new pandemic
- 30-minute physical activity as a solution
- Transforming lifestyles
- Changing dietary habits
- Active academic life
References
Coimbra, S., Catarino, C., Nascimento, H., Alves, A. I., Medeiros, A. F., Bronze-Da-Rocha, E.,… Belo, L. (2017). Physical exercise intervention at school improved hepcidin, inflammation, and iron metabolism in overweight and obese children and adolescents. Pediatric Research, 82(5), 781-788. Web.
Larsen, K. T., Huang, T., Ried-Larsen, M., Andersen, L. B., Heidemann, M., & Møller, N. C. (2016). A multi-component day-camp weight-loss program is effective in reducing BMI in children after one year: A randomized controlled trial. Plos One, 11(6), 1-16. Web.
Pbert, L., Druker, S., Barton, B., Schneider, K. L., Olendzki, B., Gapinski, M. A.,… Osganian, S. (2016). A school-based program for overweight and obese adolescents: A randomized controlled trial. The Journal of School Health, 86(10), 699-708. Web.
Tarro, L., Llauradó, E., Albaladejo, R., Moriña, D., Arija, V., Solà, R., & Giralt, M. (2014). A primary-school-based study to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity – the EdAl (Educació en Alimentació) study: A randomized controlled trial. Trials, 15(58), 1-13. Web.