Effects of “Football and Nutrition for Health” program on body composition, physical fitness, eating behaviours, nutritional knowledge, and psychological status among 7 to 10 years school children
IntroductionNoncommunicable diseases and obesity are between the major health threat due to consumption of unhealthy foods and limited time spent on physical activities, a situation of particular concern among children. Since children spend most of their time at school, this study intends to investi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2023.1251053/full |
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| author | Micaela C. Morgado Micaela C. Morgado Mónica Sousa Mónica Sousa André B. Coelho Susana Vale Susana Vale Júlio A. Costa André Seabra André Seabra |
| author_facet | Micaela C. Morgado Micaela C. Morgado Mónica Sousa Mónica Sousa André B. Coelho Susana Vale Susana Vale Júlio A. Costa André Seabra André Seabra |
| author_sort | Micaela C. Morgado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionNoncommunicable diseases and obesity are between the major health threat due to consumption of unhealthy foods and limited time spent on physical activities, a situation of particular concern among children. Since children spend most of their time at school, this study intends to investigate the effect of a school intervention program, which combines recreational football and nutrition education, on body composition, physical fitness, physical activity, blood pressure and heart rate, eating behaviours, nutritional knowledge, and psychological status in elementary school children.MethodsA total of 67 children, between 7 and 10 years old, were allocated into three groups: the Football Group (FG) which held 2 weekly sessions of 60 min of recreational football, the Nutrition and Football Group (NFG) which held 2 sessions per week of 60 min of recreational football plus 60 min of nutritional education and the Control Group (CG) which maintained its usual curriculum. The intervention lasted 12 weeks. All measurements were collected before and after the intervention.ResultsIntervention groups significantly (p < 0.05) improved BMI Z-score, rest heart rate, horizontal jump and shuttle test, physical activity level, and psychosocial health. The NFG group significantly decreased (p < 0.05) waist-to-height ratio and blood pressure, and significantly increased (p < 0.05) nutritional knowledge, fruit, and fish consumption. While FG significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the percentage of fat mass and significantly increased (p < 0.05) muscle mass and performance in the 20 m sprint.DiscussionThe results have shown to improve nutritional status, explosive strength, aerobic and neuromuscular fitness, as well as increase the level of physical activity. The nutritional education sessions contributed to increase nutritional knowledge and to improve the consumption of healthy food groups in a ludic-educational way. The “Football and Nutrition for Health” program was able to induce short-term improvements in several health markers, highlighting the role of the school curriculum in children's health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:44:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9408499b93c844b492834dab60089b72 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:44:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-9408499b93c844b492834dab60089b722023-11-09T16:15:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602023-11-011110.3389/fped.2023.12510531251053Effects of “Football and Nutrition for Health” program on body composition, physical fitness, eating behaviours, nutritional knowledge, and psychological status among 7 to 10 years school childrenMicaela C. Morgado0Micaela C. Morgado1Mónica Sousa2Mónica Sousa3André B. Coelho4Susana Vale5Susana Vale6Júlio A. Costa7André Seabra8André Seabra9Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalPortugal Football School (PFS), Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Cruz Quebrada - Dafundo, PortugalCIDEFES, Universidade Lusófona, Lisboa, PortugalCINTESIS@RISE, NOVA Medical School (NMS), Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, PortugalResearch Center for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF), Faculty of Sports Science and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalResearch Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalPorto School of Education, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, PortugalPortugal Football School (PFS), Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Cruz Quebrada - Dafundo, PortugalResearch Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalPortugal Football School (PFS), Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Cruz Quebrada - Dafundo, PortugalIntroductionNoncommunicable diseases and obesity are between the major health threat due to consumption of unhealthy foods and limited time spent on physical activities, a situation of particular concern among children. Since children spend most of their time at school, this study intends to investigate the effect of a school intervention program, which combines recreational football and nutrition education, on body composition, physical fitness, physical activity, blood pressure and heart rate, eating behaviours, nutritional knowledge, and psychological status in elementary school children.MethodsA total of 67 children, between 7 and 10 years old, were allocated into three groups: the Football Group (FG) which held 2 weekly sessions of 60 min of recreational football, the Nutrition and Football Group (NFG) which held 2 sessions per week of 60 min of recreational football plus 60 min of nutritional education and the Control Group (CG) which maintained its usual curriculum. The intervention lasted 12 weeks. All measurements were collected before and after the intervention.ResultsIntervention groups significantly (p < 0.05) improved BMI Z-score, rest heart rate, horizontal jump and shuttle test, physical activity level, and psychosocial health. The NFG group significantly decreased (p < 0.05) waist-to-height ratio and blood pressure, and significantly increased (p < 0.05) nutritional knowledge, fruit, and fish consumption. While FG significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the percentage of fat mass and significantly increased (p < 0.05) muscle mass and performance in the 20 m sprint.DiscussionThe results have shown to improve nutritional status, explosive strength, aerobic and neuromuscular fitness, as well as increase the level of physical activity. The nutritional education sessions contributed to increase nutritional knowledge and to improve the consumption of healthy food groups in a ludic-educational way. The “Football and Nutrition for Health” program was able to induce short-term improvements in several health markers, highlighting the role of the school curriculum in children's health.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2023.1251053/fullchildhood obesityphysical activitynutrition educationrecreational footballpublic healthnoncommunicable diseases |
| spellingShingle | Micaela C. Morgado Micaela C. Morgado Mónica Sousa Mónica Sousa André B. Coelho Susana Vale Susana Vale Júlio A. Costa André Seabra André Seabra Effects of “Football and Nutrition for Health” program on body composition, physical fitness, eating behaviours, nutritional knowledge, and psychological status among 7 to 10 years school children Frontiers in Pediatrics childhood obesity physical activity nutrition education recreational football public health noncommunicable diseases |
| title | Effects of “Football and Nutrition for Health” program on body composition, physical fitness, eating behaviours, nutritional knowledge, and psychological status among 7 to 10 years school children |
| title_full | Effects of “Football and Nutrition for Health” program on body composition, physical fitness, eating behaviours, nutritional knowledge, and psychological status among 7 to 10 years school children |
| title_fullStr | Effects of “Football and Nutrition for Health” program on body composition, physical fitness, eating behaviours, nutritional knowledge, and psychological status among 7 to 10 years school children |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of “Football and Nutrition for Health” program on body composition, physical fitness, eating behaviours, nutritional knowledge, and psychological status among 7 to 10 years school children |
| title_short | Effects of “Football and Nutrition for Health” program on body composition, physical fitness, eating behaviours, nutritional knowledge, and psychological status among 7 to 10 years school children |
| title_sort | effects of football and nutrition for health program on body composition physical fitness eating behaviours nutritional knowledge and psychological status among 7 to 10 years school children |
| topic | childhood obesity physical activity nutrition education recreational football public health noncommunicable diseases |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2023.1251053/full |
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