SUPERKIDS/SUPERFIT

OVERVIEW

Superkids/Superfit is a school-based program designed to promote cardiovascular health and prevent obesity in young children. The program requires children to engage in aerobic activity beyond their regularly scheduled physical education classes. In an evaluation of the program, five classrooms in southern Thailand were randomly assigned to have their children participate in either the Superkids/Superfit intervention or in a no-treatment control group. Results indicated that there were no differences across intervention and control groups on changes in BMI or skinfold thickness.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: Elementary school children.

The Superkids/Superfit program is a school-based intervention designed to promote cardiovascular health and prevent obesity in young children. The program integrates aerobic activity into the children’s daily school routine. The intervention is implemented three days a week and requires children to participate in a 15-minute walk before morning classes and a 20-minute aerobic dance session following the afternoon nap. The intervention is implemented over the course of eight months. Exercise sessions are implemented as an addition to the children’s regularly scheduled physical education classes.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Mo-suwan, L., Pongprapai, S., Junjana, C., & Puetpaiboon, A. (1998). Effects of a controlled trial of a school-based exercise program on the obesity indexes of preschool children. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 68, 1006-1011.

Evaluated population: 292 kindergarten children attending two schools in southern Thailand served as the sample for this evaluation.

Approach: Classrooms within each of the two schools were randomly assigned to have their children participate in either the Superkids/Superfit intervention or in a no-treatment control group. The intervention children also continued to participate in their regularly scheduled physical education classes. Children in the control group did not engage in any extra school-based physical activity beyond their regularly scheduled PE classes.

Children were assessed at baseline, 3 months into the intervention, 5 months into the intervention, and at the conclusion of the intervention period. Children were measured for height and weight (used to calculate BMI and the weight to height ratio) and skinfold thickness.

Results: Results indicated that, for the overall sample, there were no significant differences across intervention and control groups on changes in BMI or skinfold thickness. However, there were gender by intervention effects that neared significance. Specifically, girls in the exercise groups had lower BMI’s after the intervention relative to girls in the control group (small effect size of -.29). In contrast, boys in the intervention had higher BMI’s at the follow-up than did boys in the control group (very small effect size of .11). Additionally, compared to their counterparts in the control group, girls in the intervention were significantly less likely to have increasing BMI’s at follow-up (medium effect size of -.63).

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

Link to program website:

http://www.sph.tulane.edu/Bogalusa/superkidssuperfit.htm

References:

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: N/A

Evaluated participant grades: Kindergarten

Program age ranges in the guide: Early Childhood

Program components: School-Based

Measured outcomes: Physical Health

Keywords: Children, Kindergarten, Co-ed, Asian, School-based, Skills Training, Urban, Weight

Program information last updated on 7/17/09.

		© Child Trends 2003