Starting the Conversation- A Childhood Obesity Knowledge Project Using an App
Journal Title: Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research - Year 2014, Vol 4, Issue 7
Abstract
Purpose: Starting the Conversation was a pilot project to test an intervention for childhood obesity, a major public health epidemic, using a free smartphone application (app). The primary aim was to assess students’ knowledge of nutritional indicators, physical exercise and use of screen time before and after the intervention. Methods: The study was conducted in 2011-2012. The sample, recruited from seven high schools in Snohomish County, Washington, was 65.3% minority participants. Of the 118 participants in the sample (n=118), 79 handwrote their responses (n=78) and 36 responded via the app (n=39). We compared the frequency and types of physical exercise, frequency of screen time, and nutritional variables of high school students. Participants used the cell phone app or a handwritten log to record their daily entries for 20 days. Results: Both males (n=43) and females (n=75) grades 9-12 used the app or handwritten entries. Participants who used the app ate less fast food and exercised more, as compared with those who recorded their entries by hand. Screen time usage decreased over the course of the study, based on a comparison of the post-survey level and the pre-survey level. Knowledge of recommended daily consumption of vegetables increased post-test in the app group and knowledge of water consumption increased significantly in both groups. There was no significant difference in BMI pre and post-test. Conclusions: Patterns of nutritional intake, physical exercise and knowledge of these issues varied pre and post-test. It is critical to further examine factors associated with lack of physical activity and food intake patterns of youth using social media to further address the childhood obesity epidemic. Future research should focus on specific ethnic subgroups and an intervention at the school level aimed at the students with BMI ≥ 95th percentile.
Authors and Affiliations
Hoa B. Appel, Bu Huang, Allison Cole, Rosalina James, Amy L. Ai
Quality of Park and Playground with Park Use and Physical Activity in Children: A Scoping Review
Research on the quality of parks and playgrounds is limited, particularly regarding how conditions and cleanliness of parks and playgrounds influence park-based physical activity in children. This study explored the rela...
Rate of Incidental Finding of Intestinal Tuberculosis in Preoperatively Unsuspected Laparotomy: Experience of 300 Cases in Bangladesh
Background: Detection of intestinal tuberculosis is very crucial for the management of the patient. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to find out the incidence of intestinal tuberculosis in clinically unsus...
Waardenburg Syndrome in an 8 Year Old African Child: Case Report
Aim: Waardenburg syndrome is a very rare condition, inherited autosomally with genetic heterogeneity and characterized by deafness, hair discoloration, iris discoloration and eyelid changes. Case Report: We report a ca...
Upward Displacement of Prosthetic Aortic Valved Conduit after Modified Bentall Procedure for Type A Acute Aortic Dissection
Aim: Role of non-invasive coronary artery computed tomography (CACT) in diagnosis of complications of aortic root surgery in patients with chest pain. Introduction: Dehiscence of an aortic valved conduit or pseudoaneurys...
In vitro Bacteriostatic Effect of a Scaffold with a Mixture of Hypericum perforatum and Azadirachta indica Oil Extracts
Background: Clinical evidences suggest antimicrobial activities of a new oil extract mixture of Hypericum perforatum and Azadirachta indica, included in a polymeric scaffold (or Hyperoil™ Polimeric Substrate - HPS). Meth...