Assessment of an intervention for preventing pediatric overweight and obesity through the World Café technique: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the self-reported perspectives of participants involved in the Previene Cádiz intervention for preventing pediatric overweight and obesity. DESIGN AND METHODS: This qualitative study collected information through the World Café technique. A purposive sample of 40 participants was used, of which 14 were schoolchildren, 12 were teachers, and 14 were parent volunteers. The data were segmented, and concepts were created and grouped into dimensions and categories. RESULTS: The participants confirmed they had learned new information and behaviors about healthy habits. Parental awareness was considered a crucial and necessary element in changing family habits; therefore, increasing the motivation of family members was deemed a critical task in public health interventions conducted in school settings. DISCUSSION: Despite the suitability of qualitative methodology to evaluate the perceptions of the main players in an educational intervention, scientific literature is scarce. Obtaining information from the educational community about an intervention is not always easy, so the perspectives of teachers, students, and families about the Previene Cádiz intervention through the World Café approach is considered a relevant contribution. CONCLUSIONS: The participants considered the intervention positive in terms of learning and fostering increased knowledge, awareness, and healthy behaviors. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Future interventions should encourage the active participation of all social groups involved, integrating dynamic and collaborative training activities that are acceptable to all participants.

Multimorbidity Patterns and Their Association with Social Determinants, Mental and Physical Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The challenge posed by multimorbidity makes it necessary to look at new forms of prevention, a fact that has become heightened in the context of the pandemic. We designed a questionnaire to detect multimorbidity patterns in people over 50 and to associate these patterns with mental and physical health, COVID-19, and possible social inequalities. METHODS: This was an observational study conducted through a telephone interview. The sample size was 1592 individuals with multimorbidity. We use Latent Class Analysis to detect patterns and SF-12 scale to measure mental and physical quality-of-life health. We introduced the two dimensions of health and other social determinants in a multinomial regression model. RESULTS: We obtained a model with five patterns (entropy = 0.727): 'Relative Healthy', 'Cardiometabolic', 'Musculoskeletal', 'Musculoskeletal and Mental', and 'Complex Multimorbidity'. We found some differences in mental and physical health among patterns and COVID-19 diagnoses, and some social determinants were significant in the multinomial regression. CONCLUSIONS: We identified that prevention requires the location of certain inequalities associated with the multimorbidity patterns and how physical and mental health have been affected not only by the patterns but also by COVID-19. These findings may be critical in future interventions by health services and governments.

Independent and Combined Association of Lifestyle Behaviours and Physical Fitness with Body Weight Status in Schoolchildren.

(1) Background: Lifestyle behaviours and physical fitness play a critical role in the development of childhood obesity. It has been demonstrated in this study that self-reported physical fitness is representative of a healthy lifestyle and thus is associated with a lower incidence of overweight/obesity. The objective of this study was to analyse the independent and combined association of lifestyles (physical activity, screen time, diet and hours of sleep) and self-reported physical fitness with body weight in schoolchildren. (2) Methods: This study performed a descriptive and cross-sectional analysis. The study sample consisted of 864 schoolchildren between 8−9 years old from 26 schools of the province of Cádiz. To measure lifestyles and self-reported physical fitness, questionnaires were administered to both schoolchildren and families. To obtain the body weight status, the children were measured by body mass index (BMI). To verify the influence of lifestyles and self-reported physical fitness on the body weight status of schoolchildren, a combined score of lifestyles and self-reported physical fitness was calculated. (3) Results: Schoolchildren who followed healthier lifestyles and presented good physical fitness had a better body weight status (p < 0.001). Schoolchildren who had less healthful lifestyles and bad physical fitness had a 10.34 times higher risk of being overweight or obese (p = 0.004). (4) Conclusions: It has been shown that there is an independent and combined association between lifestyles and physical fitness on the body weight of the schoolchildren. We have suggested strategies to get children to adopt healthy lifestyles and good physical fitness to maintain a healthy body weight and prevent obesity.

A Multimodal Intervention for Prevention of Overweight and Obesity in Schoolchildren. A Protocol Study "PREVIENE-CÁDIZ".

This paper describes the protocol for a study designed to address the high prevalence (40%) of childhood overweight and obesity in the province of Cádiz, Spain, as a reflection of what is happening worldwide. It is widely known that children who suffer from childhood obesity have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. This causes a decrease in the quality of life and an increase in health spending. In this context, it is necessary to intervene promoting healthy lifestyle habits from an early stage. The objective of this project will be to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal intervention (individual, school and family) called "PREVIENE-CÁDIZ" [CADIZ-PREVENT]. The intervention will be focused mainly on diet, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle and sleep, to prevent overweight and obesity in schoolchildren from 8 to 9 years old in the province of Cádiz. It will consist of a 10-session education program carried out in the classroom by the teachers. In addition, children will be assigned two workbooks, one to work on in class and the other at home with parents. A workshop aimed at parents will be included to help teach them how to obtain healthier lifestyle habits. The proposed study will involve a quasi-experimental design with a control group.

Implications of family socioeconomic level on risk behaviors in child-youth obesity.

INTRODUCTION: Socioeconomical status may indirectly affect the obesity prevalence. This study gathers together dietary behaviour, physical activity and sedentary lifestyle in relation to the family socioeconomic status in a sample of Spanish children. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study of 3-16 years children. METHODS: Questionnaires about dietary behaviors, physical activity and sedentary lifestyles, and direct anthropometric measures. Criteria of physical activity recommended was >5METs (metabolic equivalence) during 60 min/day, and sedentary lifestyle as 120 min/day of sedentary activities, using obesity criteria from the ENKID study. We derived a single "family socioeconomic level" indicator (FSEL) from the level of studies, professional category and work situation of both parents. RESULTS: 1620 children were studied. 59.5% met the physical activity recommendations. Boys with the higher FSEL quartile tend to do more physical activity. In girls, physical activity increases with the age and degree of overweight. 57.7% of boys and 48.1% of girls were found to be sedentary, with a lower rate in families with higher FSEL. Higher FSEL quartile was related to healthy dietary habits such as having breakfast, 5 meals per day and less snacking. The FSEL was related also to the consumption of whole grains, dairy products and fruits, but not to vegetables, meat or fish. The greatest risk of excess weight was found in girls >6 years old, with a low FSEL, sedentary habits, that snack frequently and eat few proteins. DISCUSSION: Family socioeconomic status seems to determine the level of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle and dietary behavior. The elaboration of a simple socioeconomic indicator may be useful to study factors involved in child obesity.

INTRODUCCIÓN. La situación socioeconómica puede afectar indirectamente las cifras de obesidad. Este trabajo recoge hábitos alimenticios, actividad física y sedentarismo y su relación con el nivel socioeconómico familiar en población infantojuvenil española. DISEÑO. Estudio transversal de base poblacional en escolares de 3-16 años. MÉTODOS. Encuesta de hábitos alimentarios, actividad física y sedentarismo con mediciones antropométricas directas. Se consideró actividad física adecuada si alcanzaba >5METs (equivalentes metabólicos) durante 60 min/día, y sedentarismo 120 min/día de actividades sedentarias. Utilizamos los criterios de obesidad del estudio ENKid. Se confeccionó un indicador del "nivel socioeconómico de la familia" (FSEL) con el nivel de estudios, categoría profesional y situación laboral de ambos padres. RESULTADOS. Se estudiaron 1.620 niños. El 59.5% cumplían las recomendaciones de actividad física. En los niños es mayor la actividad física en el cuartil superior de FSEL, aumentando en las niñas con la edad y el sobrepeso. El 57,7% de varones y el 48,1% de niñas eran sedentarios, disminuyendo en familias con mayores FSEL. El cuartil superior de FSEL se asoció con hábitos alimenticios saludables: desayunos, 5 comidas y menor picoteo. El FSEL se asoció al consumo de cereales, lácteos y frutas, pero no al de verduras, carne o pescado. Obtuvimos mayor riesgo de sobrepeso en niñas >6 años, FSEL bajos, sedentarismo, picoteos y menores ingestas proteicas. DISCUSIÓN. El nivel socioeconómico familiar parece condicionar actividad física, sedentarismo y alimentación infantil. La elaboración de un indicador simple del FSEL familiar puede ser útil para el estudio de factores que intervienen en la obesidad infantil.