Effect of an obesity prevention program focused on motivating environments in childhood: a school-based prospective study

Background/Objectives: There has been an increasing global recognition of the need for effective strategies to prevent and control childhood obesity. In this study, we aimed to identify the effectiveness of an obesity prevention program focused on motivating environments in school. Subjects/Methods: In this school-based, prospective, quasi-experimental study, we enrolled three elementary (fourth graders) and two middle (seventh graders) schools located in Chungju, Korea. We assigned three of the schools to the intervention group and two schools to the control group. The intervention group received 1 year of environmental intervention. Diet- and exercise-related educational video content was provided by internet protocol television services during rest time, and various design materials were painted along the school staircase and hallway to encourage physical activities. Overweight and obese students were recommended to join the summer vacation obesity care program. Results: The final number of total participants was 768 (control 350 and intervention 418). After 1 year of follow-up, there was no significant difference in the overweight/obesity incidence rates and remission rates between the two groups. However, the intervention group showed a greater decrease in the body mass index (BMI) z -score (−0.11 (95% confidence interval (CI) −0.16 to −0.06), P