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

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    97.3 Kb
    Date
    2015-06
    Authors
    Benjamin Neelon, SE
    Bennett, Gary G
    Evenson, KR
    Martinie, A
    Namenek Brouwer, RJ
    Neelon, Brian Hugh
    Østbye, Truls
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    Abstract
    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.
    Type
    Journal article
    Subject
    Body Mass Index
    Child
    Community Health Services
    Exercise
    Female
    Follow-Up Studies
    Health Behavior
    Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
    Health Promotion
    Humans
    Male
    North Carolina
    Pediatric Obesity
    Weight Loss
    Permalink
    https://hdl.handle.net/10161/11436
    Published Version (Please cite this version)
    10.1089/chi.2014.0130
    Publication Info
    Benjamin Neelon, SE; Bennett, Gary G; Evenson, KR; Martinie, A; Namenek Brouwer, RJ; Neelon, Brian Hugh; & Østbye, Truls (2015). A community-based intervention increases physical activity and reduces obesity in school-age children in North Carolina. Child Obes, 11(3). pp. 297-303. 10.1089/chi.2014.0130. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/11436.
    This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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    Scholars@Duke

    Bennett

    Gary G. Bennett

    Bishop-MacDermott Family Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
    Please note that this is not our primary website.To learn more about Dr. Bennett, please visit: drgarybennett.comTo learn more about Dr. Bennett's work with Duke Digital Health, please visit: dukedigitalhealth.org Gary G. Bennett is the Bishop-MacDermott Family Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience, Global Health, and Medicine at Duke Univ
    Ostbye

    Truls Ostbye

    Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health
    Chronic disease epidemiology; obesity; health services research; population health; public health; social medicine; health information systems; health surveys; programme evaluation; clinical trials; aging; nutrition; dementia; Global Health
    Alphabetical list of authors with Scholars@Duke profiles.
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    Articles written by Duke faculty are made available through the campus open access policy. For more information see: Duke Open Access Policy

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