Effect of school-based physical activity programme on adiposity and physical performance in 9–12-yearsold overweight-weight and normal children.

Aim: To compare adiposity, the physical fitness and physical activity behaviours of 9–12 years-old overweight children (OW = 81) to normal weight children (NW = 106), after 6-months of physical activity school-based programme. Methods: A total of 189 children from three primary and secondary school in Verona were recruited for the study. Children were randomly assigned to either receive the intervention (IG—107 children) or to a standard physical education class, control group (CG—82 children). The programme for IG included information meetings for parents, two physical activity sessions per week in addiction to standard physical education and three education meetings about lifestyle for children. Before and after 6 months of intervention, anthropometric parameters, physical fitness performance were assessed. In addition, the following questionnaires were administered: PAQ-C, PASCQ, PPA Subscale, PACES. Results: After the programme, OW and NW of IG showed positive significant changes in anthropometric parameters: BMI (diff of mean pre-post in OW = 0,48; D % = 2 %); Sum of skinfolds (pre-post in OW = -4.3 mm; with D % = 6 %; pre-post in NW children = -1.5 mm; D % = 5 %); waist circumference (pre-post in OW = -1.3 cm; D % = 1.8 %; pre-post in NW = -1.3 cm; D % = 2 %). The fitness and physical activity parameters were significantly improved in both groups (NW and OW) of IG: aerobic fitness (prepost in OW = 54.6 m; D % = 10 %; pre-post in NW = 70.95 m, D % = 8 %); balance (pre-post in OW = 4 falls; D % = 34 %; prepost in NW = 4 falls; D % = 28 %), leg strength (pre-post in OW = 0.06 m; D % = 8 %; pre-post in NW = 0,11 m, D % = 5 %); flexibility (pre-pos in OW = 1.9 cm; pre-post in NW = 1.5 cm); arm strength (pre-post in OW = 1.6 kg; D % = 9.4 %; pre-post in NW = 1.7 D % = 11 %), resistance strength (prepost in OW = 3 abdominals; D % = 26.6 %; pre-post in NW = 3; D % = 24 %). Than the lifestyle and psychological aspects were significantly increased in both groups (NW and OW) of IG: PASCQ score (pre-post in OW = 2.02 U; D % = 61 %; pre-post in NW = 1.86 U; D % = 73 %); PAQ-C score (pre-post in OW = 0.53 U; D % = 25 %; pre-post in NW = 0,61 units; D % = 22 %); PPA subscale score (pre-post in OW = 3,9units; D % = 8 %; pre-post in NW = 3.5 U; D % = 10 %); PACES score (pre-post in OW = 4.36 U; D % = 6 %; pre-post in NW = 3.9 U; D % = 7 %). Instead the NW and OW children of Control group didn‘t change or decreased the level. At the follow-up the lifestyle decreased in both groups of IG, instead both groups of CG not change (PASQ score pre-post/OW = -0.57 U; pre-post/NW = -0.51 U, p\0.05; PAQ-C score pre-pos/NW = -0.24 U, p\0.05).