The results indicate that an obesity prevention program where health professionals assist teachers by integrating healthy messages into existing curriculum was effective in reducing zBMI compared to the SH condition.

The NSLP has been widely criticized; however, conducting a comparison in this manner demonstrates advantages to children obtaining school lunches. Although it was beyond the scope of this study to examine diet quality (e.g., actual intake and nutrient/caloric density), these results provide compelling evidence that lunches brought from home should be an area of emphasis for research and intervention.

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Study Objectives Examine the ability of a physiologically based mathematical model of human circadian rhythms to predict circadian phase, as measured by salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO), in children compared to other proxy measurements of circadian phase (bedtime, sleep midpoint, and waketime). Methods As part of an ongoing clinical trial, a sample of 29 elementary school children (mean age: 7.4 +/- .97 years) completed 7 days of wrist actigraphy before a lab visit to assess DLMO. Hourly salivary melatonin samples were collected under dim light conditions (< 5 lux). Data from actigraphy were used to generate predictions of circadian phase using both a physiologically based circadian limit cycle oscillator mathematical model (Hannay model), and published regression equations that utilize average sleep onset, midpoint, and offset to predict DLMO. Agreement of proxy predictions with measured DLMO were assessed and compared. Results DLMO predictions using the Hannay model outperformed DLMO predictions based on children’s sleep/wake parameters with a Lin’s Concordance Correlation Coefficient (LinCCC) of 0.79 compared to 0.41 - 0.59 for sleep/wake parameters. The mean absolute error was 31 minutes for the Hannay model compared to 35 - 38 minutes for the sleep/wake variables. Conclusion Our findings suggest sleep-wake behaviors were weak proxies of DLMO phase in children, but mathematical models using data collected from wearable data can be used to improve the accuracy of those predictions. Additional research is needed to better adapt these adult models for use in children.

The current study examined the effects of an intensive weight management intervention for Mexican American adolescents. A total of 228 adolescents were randomized to an environmental health promotion program (EHPP) or EHPP plus intensive intervention (EHPP+II). The EHPP consisted of a school‐wide intervention to promote healthy behaviors and included a physical education class. Children in the EHPP+II condition were exposed to the school‐wide intervention, but their PE class was replaced with an intensive multi‐component program comprised of nutrition and physical activity education, snacking intervention, and behavior modification. Overall, there was a significant reduction in zBMI among all students at 1 year (F= 40.75, p<.001) and there was a significant interaction (F= 3.31, p<.05). RANOVAs indicated no significant difference in change in zBMI between the EHPP+II and EHPP groups for healthy weight children (F=.967, ns). However, there was a significant interaction effect for overweight and obese children (F=3.45, p<.05). Both groups significantly decreased their zBMI at 6 months; however, at 12 months the students in the EHPP+II maintained their original losses, while students in the EHPP group increased their zBMI. This study suggests that a school‐wide health promotion program can reduce zBMI in overweight and obese children and may prevent increase in zBMI for normal weight children. Supported by the USDA.