Abstract P437: Children First Study II: How An Educational Program In Cardiovascular Prevention At School Can Improve Children Recreational Inactivity

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate the improvement in recreational inactivity (tv/internet/vieogames) in school age children after a multidisciplinary educational program in cardiovascular prevention (CVP) at school. Methods: Students aging 6 to 10 years old were exposed to two different approaches at two public schools in Sao Paulo, Brazil. For the control school we delivered written educational material (EM) for their parents during the year of 2012 about healthy lifestyle. The intervention school students received the same EM for their parents and the children were exposed to a weekly educational program in CVP with a multidisciplinary heath team during the year 2012. This intervention tried to teach to these children concepts of healthy nutrition, avoidance of tobacco and physical activity. Both at the inclusion in the study and one year later we collect data of parents and their children, including a questionnarie about the time children spent in tv, computes and videogames during the day (recreational inactivity). Results: We studied 262 children. The control group had 136 children (mean age of 8 years) and the intervention group had 126 children (mean age of 8 years). In the intervention group 79.4% of children (100 children) had a reacreational inactivity time (RIT) > 2 hours/day, and in the control group 80.1% of children (109 children) had a RIT > 2 hours/day. After one year of educational intervention 87 children (69.0%) of the intervention group and 107 children (78.6%) of the control group still had a RIT >2 hours/day, p= 0.03923 (Fisher's Exact test Mid p). This represents a 13% reduction in the intervention group and a 1,8% reduction in the control group. Conclusion: An educational program in cardiovascular prevention directed to children at school age can improve recreational inactivity in children contributing for the reduction of obesity and cardiovascular risk.