IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i2p232-d197924.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effect of a Multidimensional Physical Activity Intervention on Body Mass Index, Skinfolds and Fitness in South African Children: Results from a Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial

Author

Listed:
  • Ivan Müller

    (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
    University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
    Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Christian Schindler

    (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
    University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Larissa Adams

    (Department of Human Movement Science, South Campus, P.O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa)

  • Katharina Endes

    (Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Stefanie Gall

    (Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Markus Gerber

    (Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Nan S. N. Htun

    (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
    University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Siphesihle Nqweniso

    (Department of Human Movement Science, South Campus, P.O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa)

  • Nandi Joubert

    (Department of Human Movement Science, South Campus, P.O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa)

  • Nicole Probst-Hensch

    (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
    University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Rosa du Randt

    (Department of Human Movement Science, South Campus, P.O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa)

  • Harald Seelig

    (Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Danielle Smith

    (Department of Human Movement Science, South Campus, P.O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa)

  • Peter Steinmann

    (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
    University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Jürg Utzinger

    (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
    University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Peiling Yap

    (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
    University of Basel, P.O. Box, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
    Institute of Infectious Disease and Epidemiology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 144 Moulmein Road, Singapore 308089, Singapore)

  • Cheryl Walter

    (Department of Human Movement Science, South Campus, P.O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa)

  • Uwe Pühse

    (Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland)

Abstract

Obesity-related conditions impose a considerable and growing burden on low- and middle-income countries, including South Africa. We aimed to assess the effect of twice a 10-week multidimensional, school-based physical activity intervention on children’s health in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. A cluster-randomised controlled trial was implemented from February 2015 to May 2016 in grade 4 classes in eight disadvantaged primary schools. Interventions consisted of physical education lessons, moving-to-music classes, in-class activity breaks and school infrastructure enhancement to promote physical activity. Primary outcomes included cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index (BMI) and skinfold thickness. Explanatory variables were socioeconomic status, self-reported physical activity, stunting, anaemia and parasite infections. Complete data were available from 746 children. A significantly lower increase in the mean BMI Z-score (estimate of difference in mean change: −0.17; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.24 to −0.09; p < 0.001) and reduced increase in the mean skinfold thickness (difference in mean change: −1.06; 95% CI: −1.83 to −0.29; p = 0.007) was observed in intervention schools. No significant group difference occurred in the mean change of cardiorespiratory fitness ( p > 0.05). These findings show that a multidimensional, school-based physical activity intervention can reduce the increase in specific cardiovascular risk factors. However, a longer and more intensive intervention might be necessary to improve cardiorespiratory fitness.

Suggested Citation

  • Ivan Müller & Christian Schindler & Larissa Adams & Katharina Endes & Stefanie Gall & Markus Gerber & Nan S. N. Htun & Siphesihle Nqweniso & Nandi Joubert & Nicole Probst-Hensch & Rosa du Randt & Hara, 2019. "Effect of a Multidimensional Physical Activity Intervention on Body Mass Index, Skinfolds and Fitness in South African Children: Results from a Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-16, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:2:p:232-:d:197924
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/2/232/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/2/232/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Patrick Mkhanyiseli Zimu & Hendrik Johannes van Heerden & Jeanne Martin Grace, 2024. "Impact of a Nyakaza Move-for-Health Intervention Programme among Adolescents in a Resource-Constrained South African Community," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(6), pages 1-14, May.
    2. Matthew Ellis & Puspa Raj Pant, 2020. "Global Community Child Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-3, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:2:p:232-:d:197924. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.