The effects of "Keep the Balance" intervention programme

The results of surveys conducted among Polish children and adolescents show a continuing increase of overweight and obesity. The main goal of the intervention programme called "Keep the Balance” was to implement proper... [ view full abstract ]

The results of surveys conducted among Polish children and adolescents show a continuing increase of overweight and obesity.

The main goal of the intervention programme called "Keep the Balance” was to implement proper nutrition practices and increase PA in children and adolescents Poland-wide as well as to establish healthy environments and close cooperation between pupils, teachers and parents. Schools and pre-school institutions were invited to join the programme, which was implemented in 100 institutions (25 from each of the four educational stages: pre-schools, primary, post-primary and secondaryschool) in each of 16 Polish provinces (1600 institutions overall). The programme was supported by a grant from Switzerland through the Swiss Contribution to the enlarged European Union (KIK/34). Province coordinators were trained and specially designed guidelines for teachers, parents and students were issued and delivered to schools. In 2013 initial assessment of selected institutions was conducted with regards to the knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning nutrition and PAof children and youth under scrutiny. School teachers were trained how to introduce changes in their school environment that would promote healthy nutrition and PA in line with the programme outlines.

After two years of programme implementation, evaluation of the results was carried out and 1027 institutions which met requirements and have successfully implemented the program received confirmation of its activities - “Certificate School/Pre-school Friendly to Nutrition and PA”.

The most significant results observed concerned improvement in healthy nutrition knowledge (overall by 23,2%) and improvement in physical fitness tests output. Sideline effect was also small (not statistically significant) decline in the overweight and obese of students.

The intervention programme “Keep the balance” shows that simultaneous healthy nutrition education and PA education and encouragement may be an effective way of reducing the negative overweight and obesity tendency in children and adolescents.