Background: urgent development of effective interventions to prevent rapidly rising childhood obesity in China is needed.
Methods: Between May 2010 and December 2013, a cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted among 4th graders in eight urban primary schools randomly assigned to intervention or control groups in Nanjing, China. A multi-component intervention program was implemented within the treatment group, while students in the control group followed their usual health education curriculum without additional intervention.
Results: At baseline, 638 and 544 students were enrolled in the intervention and control group, respectively. The prevalence of excess body weight was 26.8%, with 27.4% in the intervention group and 26.1% in the control group (p=0.61). The mean (SD) BMI and WC was 18.7 (3.0) and 63.0 (9.2) for participants in intervention schools, and 18.5 (2.9) and 63.6 (8.7) for students in control group, separately (p=0.24 and 0.41, respectively). Compared to those who were not aware of what lifestyle/behavior factors were unhealthy, students who were aware of the unhealthy lifestyle/ behavior factors consumed fewer fried snacks (0.46±0.76 serves/week vs 0.65±0.91 serves/week; p<0.01), soft drinks (160±194 ml/week vs 199±227 ml/week; p<0.01), but larger amount of meat (502±429 g/week vs 449±344 g/week; p=0.03), and reported less screen time (214±232 minutes/week vs 252±264 minutes/week; p<0.01). Moreover, there was no difference within physical activity time between these two groups (257±341 minutes/week vs 218±324 minutes/week; p=0.13).
Conclusions: Main characteristics of participants were balanced at baseline within intervention and control schools, but a gap existed between healthy lifestyle knowledge and actual healthy behavior in students.
Trial registration number: ChiCTR-ERC-11001819.
背景：在中国需要研发可行且有效的干预策略，来应对快速增长的儿童肥 胖。方法：2010年5月- 2013年12月在中国南京市选择8所城区小学，将4年级 的小学生随机分为干预组和对照组。在干预组的学生中，除了学校通用的日 常健康教育课程之外，另行实施多元的针对性干预措施；而在对照组中，则 只进行通用的日常健康教育。结果：基线入组时，638名学生被分入干预组， 544名学生被分入对照组。总的体重过多者的比例为26.8%，并且在干预组 (27.4%)和对照组(26.1%)中没有显著差异(p＝0.61)。学生的体质指数的均数(标 准差)在干预组和对照组中分别为18.7(3.0)和18.5(2.9)，差异没有统计学意义 (p=0.24)；而腰围的均数(标准差)则分别为63.0(9.2)和63.6(8.7)，差异也没有统 计学意义(p=0.41)。与不知道生活方式/行为是不健康者相比，知道生活方式/ 行为不健康的学生食用更少的油炸快餐(0.46±0.76次/周 比上 0.65±0.91次/周； p<0.01)和软饮料(160±194毫升/周比上199±227毫升/周; p<0.01) ，但食用较多 的肉食(502±429克/周比上449±344克/周；p=0.03)；且看电视或使用电脑的时 间较少(214±232分钟/周比上252±264分钟/周；p<0.01)。干预组与对照组的学 生中，体力活动时间没有统计学差异(257±341分钟/周比上 218±324分钟/周； p=0.13)。结论：在试验开始时，干预组和对照组之中学生，其主要人口学特 征是均衡可比的，但是了解健康生活方式相关知识并不意味着就采用相应的 健康行为。临床试验注册号：ChiCTR-ERC-11001819.