Journal
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
Volume 56, Issue 6, Pages 379-384Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.02.020
Keywords
Obesity; Prevention; Children; Community; Capacity; Quantitative
Funding
- Victorian Department of Health
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Health Research Council [New Zealand]
- Wellcome Trust [UK]
- AusAID
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Background. Community capacity building is a promising approach in reducing childhood obesity. The objective was to determine changes in capacity over a 3 year intervention (2005-2008) in schools and whether greater increases in capacity were associated with greater decreases in overweight/obesity. Methods. It's your Move! (IYM) was an obesity prevention project, in 12 Australian secondary schools (5 intervention; 7 comparison), that aimed to increase community capacity to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Capacity was assessed pre/post intervention using the 'Community Readiness to Change (RTC)' tool. Comparisons from baseline to follow-up were tested using Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks and results plotted against changes (Newcombe's paired differences) in prevalence of overweight/obesity (WHO standards). Results. RTC increased in intervention schools (p = 0.04) over time but not for comparison schools (p 0.50). The intervention group improved on 5 of 6 dimensions and the three intervention schools that increased three levels on the RTC scale each had significant reductions in overweight/obesity prevalence. Conclusion. There were marked increases in capacity in the intervention schools and those with greater increases had greater decreases in the prevalence of overweight/obesity. Community-based obesity prevention efforts should specifically target increasing community capacity as a proximal indicator of success. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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