{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: A 16-month follow-up after a youth-led social marketing intervention to encourage healthy lifestyles in children (aged 9 at baseline and 11 at follow-up) from disadvantaged neighbourhoods: the European Youth Tackling Obesity-Kids project.
{Author}: Llauradó E;Pedret A;Valls RM;Solà R;Tarro L;
{Journal}: Public Health
{Volume}: 232
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 Jul 6
{Factor}: 4.984
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.puhe.2024.04.008
{Abstract}: OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the influence of the European Youth Tackling Obesity-Kids (EYTO-Kids) 10-month intervention, based on social marketing and peer-led methodologies, at 16 month of its ending.
METHODS: Children (aged 9 at baseline and 11 at the follow-up) from disadvantaged neighbourhoods who participated in the 10-month EYTO-Kids parallel-cluster randomised controlled intervention study in Reus (Spain) were included. The number of participants was 252 (retention rate: 67.2%) in the intervention group (7 schools) and 226 (retention rate: 69.1%) in the control one (8 schools). Primary (physical activity and fruit consumption) and secondary (screen time; and vegetables, fast food, and sugary drink consumption) outcomes were assessed.
RESULTS: At follow-up, consumption of ≥1 fruit per day increased in girls (odds ratio [OR] (95% confidence interval [CI]) = 2.28 (1.2; 4.2), P = 0.012) and all children (OR (95%CI) = 2.28 (1.0; 2.6), P = 0.044) in the intervention group vs. the control one. Physical activity ≥6 h/week similarly increased in both groups.
CONCLUSIONS: At long-term effectiveness of a 10-month intervention on improving fruit consumption in children was observed. Therefore, peer-led and social marketing methodologies enhance healthy lifestyles by conveying children towards healthy choices.