Impact of a School‐Based Pediatric Obesity Prevention Program Facilitated by Health Professionals

BACKGROUND This study evaluated a school‐based obesity intervention for elementary school children (N = 835) where health professionals assisted teachers with the integration of healthy messages into the school curriculum.METHODS Schools were randomized into a professional‐facilitated intervention ( PFI ; N = 4) or a self‐help ( SH ; N = 3) condition. Changes in weight‐based outcomes were assessed in students enrolled in the second grade from all 7 schools (overall: N = 835 students; PFI : N = 509 students, SH : N = 326 students). Students were between ages 7 and 9 and from diverse ethnic backgrounds (Asian = 25.3%, Black = 23.3%, Hispanic = 23.1%, White = 28.3%). The sample included 321 overweight/obese ( BMI  ≥ 85th percentile), 477 normal‐weight ( BMI  ≥ 5th percentile and <85th percentile), and 37 underweight ( BMI  < 5th percentile) students.RESULTS After 2 years, children who were overweight/obese in the PFI condition significantly reduced their standardized BMI ( z BMI) compared to children in the SH condition (Wald χ 2  = 28.7, p < .001). End‐of‐year grades decreased for overweight/obese students in both conditions; however, students in the PFI exhibited a smaller decrease in grades compared to the SH condition (Wald χ 2  = 80.3, p < .001). CONCLUSION The results indicate that an obesity prevention program where health professionals assist teachers by integrating healthy messages into existing curriculum was effective in reducing z BMI compared to the SH condition.