Author(s): KOBEL, S., WARTHA, O., DREYHAUPT, J., Institution: ULM UNIVERSITY, Country: GERMANY, Abstract-ID: 165

INTRODUCTION:
Worldwide, the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity increases. Children with low socioeconomic status (SES) are more often affected by overweight and obesity. SES is also associated with health behaviours. In order to avoid health disparities, school-based health promotion programmes such as “Join the Healthy Boat” can help. Intervention outcomes can differ by SES, therefore children’s health behaviours were investigated after a one-year intervention in respect of their SES.
METHODS:
1620 children’s data (7.1±0.6 years; 50.6% male) was analysed; anthropometric data was taken on-site, other health-related parameters and SES were assessed subjectively. Logistic regression models and GEEs were calculated.
RESULTS:
Comparisons by SES show that there were significant differences in children’s characteristics and health behaviours. After one year, overweight prevalence increased significantly in low-SES children in the control group (CG; p<0.001) but stayed the same in the intervention group (IG). There were no intervention effects for physical activity or screen media use, but children with high SES in the IG skipped breakfast significantly less often than in the CG (p<0.001). Parental education level and household income were also assessed separately, with similar results.
CONCLUSION:
The health-promotion programme “Join the Healthy Boat” has the potential to promote children’s health via a school-based intervention and therefore reach all children independent from their background. This study shows vast gaps between several health behaviours of primary school children depending on their SES, favouring those children coming from more privileged families. A longer implementation may show more effects.