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NCT Number: NCT06671964

The Impact of School-Based Intervention for 9-13-year-old School Children with Overweight and Obesity

Childhood obesity is a major issue for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Interventions modifying people's nutritional behavior and changing their dietary habits can potentially address this problem. This study assessed the effectiveness of the 6-month school-based nutritional educational intervention on fruit and vegetable intake, nutrition knowledge, anthropometric measures, and practice, attitude, and self-efficacy measures.

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Key information

Conditions

Overweight Children Body Weight Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Obese Children and Adolescents Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

9 year–13 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

United Arab Emarites University

Al Ain City, Ain, United Arab Emirates

About this study

The problem of childhood obesity is a critical issue for the UAE. Findings of recent studies illustrate that nutritional interventions seeking to modify people's nutritional behavior and change their dietary habits have the potential to address this problem. This article reports the results of the study that was dedicated to the influence of the school-based nutritional educational intervention on fruit and vegetable intake, anthropometric measures, practice, attitude, self-efficacy, and knowledge scores of schoolchildren. The intervention was carried out among 9-13-year-old schoolchildren at public schools from Dubai and Sharjah (n=403). The sample included three groups, including the control group (n=114), Intervention Group 1 (n=148), and Intervention Group 2 (n=141). The control group was exposed to a conventional curriculum on healthy nutrition. Group 1 participated in the intervention involving children, and Group 2 participated in the intervention involving students, peers, and parents.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • WHO BMI-for-age growth charts, Students with BMI from the 85th to the 95th percentile were categorized as "overweight," and those who were above the 95th percentile were categorized as "obese"
  • Attending Government school.
  • Within Grades 6-9.
  • Live in Dubai or Sharjah
  • Female and male students

Exclusion criteria

  • Students with BMI below the 85th percentile for the WHO BMI-for-age growth charts.
  • Not attending a government school
  • Living in another emirate (not Dubai or Sharjah)

Treatment and study plan

Anthropometric measurements

Other

Anthropometric measurements of the students, including weight, height, muscle mass, fat quantity, and waist circumference, were measured. The WHO BMI charts were utilized for classification. Stratified Random selection

Questionnaire

Other

The collection of data was performed using the "Atlas questionnaire" (Al-Hazzaa et al., 2011) and "nutrition knowledge and healthy lifestyle behavior" questionnaire (Kalender et al., 2011) with additional questions related to self-efficacy and dietary practices adapted from the literature (Becher, 2009; Voss et al., 2017; Kowalski et al., 2004). Stratified Random selection

Educational sessions

Other

The topics that covered included a healthy eating lifestyle, energy balance, food portion control, healthy snacking, the importance of physical activity and healthy eating, dietary practices, and nutrition-related self-efficacy.

Primary outcomes

  1. Nutrition Knowledge and Self-Efficacy

    Time frame: 6 months

    • Change in students' knowledge and self-efficacy scores from baseline values in overweight and obese UAE students aged 9-13 using a validated questionnaire(Arab Teens Lifestyle Questionnaire).

    The statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, and the IBM, USA computer software (version 29).

    Likert scales, were expressed as weighted mean ± SD. An independent t-test (parametric test) was used to analyze the effect of 2-level qualitative variables on quantitative variables, and one way ANOVA (parametric test) was used to analyze the effect of >2-level qualitative variables on quantitative variables in each questionnaire section

  2. Nutrition Knowledge and Self-Efficacy

    Time frame: 6 months

    • Change in the percentage of children consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables and using a validated questionnaire(Arab Teens Lifestyle Questionnaire).

    The statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, and the IBM, USA computer software (version 29).

    Likert scales, were expressed as weighted mean ± SD. An independent t-test (parametric test) was used to analyze the effect of 2-level qualitative variables on quantitative variables, and one way ANOVA (parametric test) was used to analyze the effect of >2-level qualitative variables on quantitative variables in each questionnaire section

Secondary outcomes

  1. Anthropometric Data

    Time frame: 6 months

    Change in body measurements(Weight in kilogram, BMI in kg/m^2) The statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, and the IBM, USA computer software (version 29).The anthropometric measurements of the control and intervention groups were compared using ANOVA before and after the nutritional education intervention.

  2. Anthropometric Data

    Time frame: 6 months

    Change in body measurements(waist circumference in cm) The statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, and the IBM, USA computer software (version 29).The anthropometric measurements of the control and intervention groups were compared using ANOVA before and after the nutritional education intervention.

  3. Anthropometric Data

    Time frame: 6 months

    Change in body measurements( Muscle Mass in kilogram) The statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, and the IBM, USA computer software (version 29).The anthropometric measurements of the control and intervention groups were compared using ANOVA before and after the nutritional education intervention.

  4. Anthropometric Data

    Time frame: 6 months

    Change in body measurements( Body Fat percentage using using Tanita BC730W) The statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, and the IBM, USA computer software (version 29).The anthropometric measurements of the control and intervention groups were compared using ANOVA before and after the nutritional education intervention.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

United Arab Emirates University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Impact of School-Based Intervention for 9-13-year-old School Children with Overweight and Obesity: Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, Fruit and Vegetable Intake, and Anthropometry

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2023
First posted
Nov 4, 2024
Registry last updated
Nov 4, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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