The Effects of a Comprehensive, Integrated Obesity Prevention Intervention Approach (SuperFIT) on Children’s Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and BMI Z-Score

Ilona van de Kolk, Sanne M. P. L. Gerards, Lisa S. E. Harms, Stef P. J. Kremers and Jessica S. Gubbels
Additional contact information
Ilona van de Kolk: Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Sanne M. P. L. Gerards: Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Lisa S. E. Harms: Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Stef P. J. Kremers: Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Jessica S. Gubbels: Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-15

Abstract: SuperFIT is a comprehensive, integrated intervention approach aimed at promoting healthy energy balance-related behaviors in 2- to 4-year-old children in the preschool and home settings. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted to evaluate the effects of SuperFIT on physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB) and Body Mass Index (BMI) z-score. Children could participate in the preschool-based and family-based component (full intervention) or only in the preschool-based component (partial intervention). Children’s PA levels and SB were assessed with accelerometers and observations, and height and weight were measured for the BMI z-score. Measurements were performed at baseline and two follow-up time points. Effectiveness was evaluated using linear mixed-model analyses, correcting for relevant covariates. Healthy changes in PA levels occurred within all study groups over time. No significant differences were found in overall PA levels between the intervention groups and control group at both follow-ups. Nevertheless, sedentary behavior decreased more in the full intervention group (effect size (ES): −0.62), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (ES: 0.85) and counts per minute (ES: 0.45) increased more compared to the control group on preschool days at the first follow-up. No effects were found for BMI z-score. The integrated approach of SuperFIT may induce changes in PA of young children, although the effects were small.

Keywords: BMI z-score; children; home; intervention; physical activity; preschool; sedentary behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/24/5016/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/24/5016/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:24:p:5016-:d:296068

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().