Search Results (26)

Objectives: Adolescence is a pivotal stage of development characterized by significant physical, psychological, and social changes. Establishing healthy lifestyle habits during this period is crucial for long-term health and the prevention of chronic diseases. Despite this, global trends show a marked decline in physical activity among adolescents, particularly girls, who are more susceptible to sedentary behaviors. One potential site for intervention to eliminate physical inactivity at the population level is the school educational setting during childhood. Traditional school-based physical exercise programs often adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, which may not address the diverse needs and interests of students, leading to reduced motivation and participation. Personalized physical exercise programs, tailored to individual capabilities and preferences, offer a promising alternative to enhance physical fitness and foster lifelong engagement in physical activity. Methods: A total of 170 Hungarian high school girls (mean age ≈ 15.3 years) were randomly assigned to either a personalized physical exercise group or a control group following the standard curriculum. The intervention spanned two academic years and consisted of five traditional gym classes per week (control group) or three traditional and two individually tailored classes with cardiorespiratory and resistance training per week (intervention group), each lasting 45–60 min. Individual goals were set based on baseline assessments, emphasizing self-referenced progress. Results: The personalized physical exercise group showed significant improvements in body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, maximum oxygen uptake capacity (VO₂max), muscular strength, and flexibility (p < 0.05), while the control group exhibited minimal or negative changes. Conclusions: The personalized physical exercise program has been shown to be more effective in achieving higher cardiorespiratory performance and favorable body composition among adolescent girls than a traditional school physical education class, highlighting its potential role in school settings. Full article

Background: Nurses play a crucial role in health promotion (HP) policy and in encouraging healthy behaviors. However, challenges persist in effectively integrating HP as a core component of healthcare systems and nursing practice. Therefore, it is essential to develop specialized and advanced competencies in nursing students, incorporate HP into nursing academic curricula, and better understand the factors influencing nursing students’ development of these competencies—an area that remains underexplored. Accordingly, this study explores and describes the factors nursing students perceive as essential in developing competencies in HP and in fulfilling their role as health promoters. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 19 nursing students. Results: Five main themes emerged: (1) Training Needs of Future Health Promoters, (2) Navigating Time Constraints in Health Promotion, (3) Nurses’ Awareness of Their Role in HP, (4) Perceived Need to Adopt Healthier Lifestyles, and (5) Challenges of Lifestyle Management. Key facilitators included strong mentorship and well-structured educational programs; barriers included insufficient clinical exposure and time constraints. Additionally, students emphasized the need for HP to be a core aspect of nursing curricula. While acknowledging existing obstacles, participants also identified practical solutions that could be integrated into training and practice to enhance the impact of HP in nursing care. Conclusions: The study highlights significant gaps in HP education for nursing students and the need for curriculum reforms to better prepare them as health promoters. Future research should consider the perspectives of clinical mentors and evaluate the effectiveness of innovative teaching methods—such as simulation-based training—in strengthening students’ HP competencies. Full article

Introduction: The entry into force of a new education law (LOMLOE) in Spain introduces a regulatory framework that is committed to Health Education (HE) in the school context. Schools are considered strategic settings for acquiring healthy patterns that can last a lifetime, as confirmed by major European organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission (EC). The objective of this study was to conduct an expert consensus analysis of Decree 150/2022, on Early Childhood Education (ECE) curriculum in the region of Galicia (Spain), with regard to aspects related to HE. The analysis focused on issues related to physical, mental/emotional and social health and included comparisons with curricula from other regions of Spain and other European countries. Method: To this end, a panel of four experts (from the fields of nursing and physical education) was assembled to conduct a consensus analysis of the legislative document, using a mixed-method approach that combined the Delphi technique with structured face-to-face consensus meetings. Results: The summary of the final proposal reflects a document aligned with societal needs regarding children’s health while also addressing mental/emotional and social health. Conclusion: The proposal aims to promote the acquisition of healthy lifestyle habits that are sustained over time. However, the success of the document in terms of both content and practical application remains uncertain. Further studies will be needed in the coming years to analyze and provide concrete evidence regarding its outcomes and impact on students. Full article

The Spanish basic education curriculum, specifically the section on primary education, addresses global challenges and recognizes schools as essential in health education. Healthy lifestyle habits are fundamental due to their impact on health and well-being, especially in children. This study analyzes the integration of health and healthy lifestyle habits in Spanish autonomous curricular decrees using a qualitative documentary analysis and a comparative approach with a statistical/descriptive basis. The corpus includes the 17 autonomous curricular decrees derived from the Organic Law 3/2020 (LOMLOE). The data, derived from the 17 autonomous curricular decrees, were examined using lexical and grammatical analyses, then processed with Atlas.ti 23 software. The results reveal that the dimensions and categories related to health and healthy lifestyle habits focus mainly on physical aspects. In common areas or fields, physical education and knowledge of the natural, social and cultural environment are the most relevant areas for integrating health and healthy lifestyle habits into the framework in this study. However, the current curriculum proposal lacks continuity between curricular elements. In summary, this study represents a step forward in the recognition of the extent to which health and healthy lifestyle habits are established in the curriculum. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study investigated the impact of the FLUYE school-based intervention on children’s lifestyle behaviors, Mediterranean diet adherence, and emotional well-being in Spain. The objective was to promote healthy habits through nutrition education, physical activity, and emotional support within the school environment, with a focus on addressing the needs of both normal-weight and overweight/obese children. Methods: A total of 552 children aged 3 to 12 years participated in the study, with data collected at baseline (T0) and follow-up (T1). The intervention was designed to integrate health education into the school curriculum, emphasizing the development of personal competencies in diet, physical activity, and emotional well-being. The analysis included changes in dietary habits, screen time, physical activity, and psychosocial outcomes, with comparisons made between the normal-weight and overweight/obese groups. Results: Significant improvements were observed in water consumption and reductions in sugar-sweetened beverage intake across both weight groups. However, an increase in screen time, particularly among normal-weight children, highlighted ongoing challenges in reducing sedentary behavior. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet improved more significantly in the overweight/obese group, suggesting the program’s effectiveness in promoting healthier eating patterns among at-risk children. Emotional well-being and self-esteem also saw significant enhancements, with children reporting increased feelings of pride and positivity post-intervention. Conclusions: The FLUYE program effectively improved various aspects of children’s lifestyle behaviors, particularly in dietary habits and emotional well-being. These findings underscore the importance of comprehensive, school-based interventions that address both physical and psychosocial aspects of health, especially for children at higher risk for obesity. Full article

Native Hawaiians were a healthy and robust population who developed a sophisticated food system that was dismantled by colonization. Currently, Native Hawaiians face pervasive health disparities due to the limited access to healthy foods and lifestyles. This study pilot tested a family-based community-driven intervention called MALAMA, which teaches families to build and use a backyard aquaponics system to grow their own food. A total of 21 participants from 10 families completed a three-month curriculum that included a series of hands-on workshops. Participant attendance was recorded and participants completed a behavioral health questionnaire as well as provided clinical indicators at three time points. They also attended a focus group at the end of the curriculum. There was a high level of engagement and no participant attrition. Fruit consumption among all participants significantly increased and there were favorable trends in blood pressure and fish and vegetable consumption. No significant differences were found in the other clinical indicators. Participants found MALAMA to be highly culturally acceptable and identified multiple benefits. Community-driven solutions, such as MALAMA, may be a promising approach to addressing pervasive health disparities and promoting health equity in minority and Indigenous communities. Full article

Background: Childhood obesity is a global public health concern. Development of effective public health interventions represents the only viable option for decreasing the prevalence of childhood obesity. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a school-based “PETICA—Play for Health” obesity prevention program in urban and rural areas in Croatia. Methods: This before-and-after study included 28 elementary schools in Croatia focused on pupils (n = 753, 2nd grade) and their guardians (n = 753) during the school year 2022/2023. “PETICA” multicomponent lessons and workshops (10) were implemented in the school curriculum and home settings (parents) as part of the intervention. Knowledge and lifestyle habit changes were evaluated via the questionnaire on knowledge and habits regarding nutrition and physical activity pre-/post-education. The Wilcoxon test for paired samples, Student’s t-test (dependent and independent samples), multiple Mann Whitney U tests (p < 0.05), Spearman’s correlation, and heatmaps were used. Results: The analysis showed a significant increase in acquired knowledge among pupils (both settings) and habits in the rural setting (increase in sports activities participation, breakfast, and vegetables consumption (p < 0.001, p = 0.003, p = 0.004)), decrease of sweets and salty snacks intake (p = 0.027, p = 0.011), and also, the link between parents’ and children’s physical activity levels (p = 0.028 vs. p = 0.022), emphasizing the importance of parents as healthy lifestyle role-models. Conclusion: The study shows that “PETICA” is an efficient school-based educational model that contributes to positive changes in children’s knowledge and lifestyle habits that are a prerequisite for childhood obesity prevention. Full article

Background: Personal health behaviours and lifestyle habits of health professionals influence their counselling practices related to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). There are limited data on the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle habits among medical students and the impact of acquired health knowledge throughout the curriculum. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the prevalence of modifiable behavioural NCD risk factors of medical students in different academic years at a South African tertiary institution. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study of 532 consenting medical students was conducted. Participants completed five online questionnaires regarding lifestyle behaviours (physical activity, dietary habits, smoking, alcohol consumption and sleep). Results: Lifestyle-related risk factors with the highest prevalence were poor sleep quality (66.0%), low levels of habitual physical activity (55.8%) and low-to-moderate diet quality (54.5%). There were no differences between academic years for all risk factors measured. Over 60% of the cohort had two or more NCD risk factors and this prevalence did not differ across the degree program with the acquisition of more health knowledge. Conclusion: Medical students have a high prevalence of poor sleep quality, low levels of physical activity and low-to-moderate diet quality, which does not appear to change over the course of their academic career. Sleep hygiene, regular physical activity and healthy nutrition should be targeted in intervention programmes and be more prevalent in the medical curriculum. Full article

Introduction: Adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors has the potential to slow cognitive decline in older adults by reducing risks associated with dementia. Curriculum-based group health coaching may aid in establishing behavior change centered for dementia risk factors. Methods: In this pilot clinical care patient group study (n = 6), we examined the effects of a six-month online Cognitive Health Program combined with a weekly telehealth support group led by the course creator, and personalized health optimization by a collaborating physician, in older adults with subjective cognitive decline. Cognition was assessed at baseline and post-intervention using a computerized battery. Results: Cognitive changes were estimated with nonparametric tests and effect sizes (Cohen’s d). Results showed significant improvements in global cognition (p < 0.03, d = 1.6), spatial planning (p < 0.01, d = 2.3), and visuospatial processing (p < 0.05, d = 1.1) compared to baseline. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the virtual group format and online curriculum. Conclusions: This small pilot study suggests that a virtual six-month personalized health coaching group with self-paced online health education is feasible and potentially efficacious for improving cognition in participants with subjective cognitive complaints. This format may facilitate behavior change to slow cognitive decline. Future studies should include a control group, a larger, more diverse sample as well as assessing mood and other subjective measures. Full article

Introduction: Teaching kitchens are being used to facilitate lifestyle changes with a focus on culinary and nutrition programs to improve health behaviors. Less is known regarding their use as a worksite wellness program and their influence on employees’ quality of life, body weight, and adoption of healthy behaviors. We evaluated changes in self-reported healthy behaviors, overall health, and weight during a one-year multidisciplinary teaching kitchen program. Methods: Thirty-eight benefits-eligible employees were recruited, screened based on a priori eligibility criteria that prioritized elevated body mass index (BMI), co-morbid conditions, and high levels of motivation to make lifestyle changes, and consented to participate in The Emory Healthy Kitchen Collaborative. This 12-month program included a 10-week didactic and experiential curriculum followed by continued support and access to health coaching implemented in an academic health system university hospital workplace between 2019 and 2020. Comparative statistics, paired t-test, Mcnemar’s tests, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to assess changes at four time points. Results: Participants improved diet quality (p ≤ 0.0001), increased confidence in tasting new foods (p = 0.03), and increased mindful eating habits (p = 0.00002). Significant changes were seen in physical activity levels; aerobic activities (p = 0.007), strength resistance activities (p = 0.02), and participation in yoga (p = 0.002). Most participants weighed within 5 lbs. of their starting weight at 3 months (p = 0.57). Conclusions: A teaching kitchen intervention is an innovative model for improving employee health behaviors and general health self-perception. Full article

Examination stress is the most common stressor reported by adolescents across the globe. Exam stress involves mental distress related to anticipated academic challenges or fear of failure in the examinations, test anxiety, or fear of being unable to meet certain expectations of themselves or others. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic resilience program (Super Skills for Exams; SSE), when integrated in the school curriculum and delivered by the school counsellors, in reducing exam stress among adolescents who are preparing for their national examinations. SSE is based on the principles of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), behavioural activation, and social skills training, and includes sessions in promoting healthy lifestyles. Participants were 7129 (3661 female and 3468 male) adolescents in grades 7 and 8, from all the 245 secondary schools from Ugur College in seven regions and 31 cities across Turkey. All the participants completed a set of questionnaires to measure self-efficacy for learning and test anxiety, academic stress, emotion regulation, and lifestyles. Results revealed significant reduction in academic stress (i.e., test anxiety, work pressure, self-expectation, and despondency) and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and significant increase in self-efficacy and adaptive regulation strategies following the intervention. Adolescents who participated in SSE reported an increase in the consumption of healthy food. This study provides preliminary empirical support for the integration of SSE within the school curriculum for helping adolescents cope with exam stress as they prepare for their national exams. Full article

A healthy lifestyle from early childhood is a crucial factor that influences bone-related factors in adulthood. In this context, physical education or psychomotricity from early childhood is an important opportunity to face this problem. The present article aims to systematically summarize school-based interventions, evaluated through randomized controlled trial design, that influence the bones of children from early childhood. A systematic review of relevant articles was carried out using four main databases (PubMed, ProQuest Central (including 26 databases), Scopus, and Web of Sciences) until 12 November 2023. From a total of 42 studies initially found, 12 were included in the qualitative synthesis. In brief terms, from early childhood and during puberty, children’s bones are particularly responsive to exercise, making this an ideal time for interventions to maximize bone health. Therefore, incorporating physical activity into school curriculums is a strategic approach for enhancing bone health in children. Mainly, plyometric exercises can significantly enhance bone density and geometry. Nevertheless, collaboration among educators, healthcare professionals, and parents is key for designing and implementing these effective interventions. Full article

Emerging evidence suggests that the addition of text messages to standard healthy lifestyle interventions may improve the outcomes of diabetes prevention programs (DPP). This paper describes the process of developing text messages targeting behavior change in people at risk of developing diabetes in low-resourced communities as part of the South African DPP (SA-DPP). The development comprised multiple steps led by nutrition and physical activity experts. The steps included the following: (1) text message development based on the existing SA-DPP curriculum and its formative research; (2) text message evaluation for readability/understandability in terms of content, language, and quality, with 75 participants from two low-resourced areas in Cape Town; (3) text message refinement by the expert panel; (4) evaluation of the refined text messages by participants from Step 2; and (5) text bank finalization. Based on the readability survey, 37 of the 67 formulated text messages [24 of the 44 encouraged healthy eating, and 13 of the 23 promoted physical activity] were refined. Based on focused discussions with participants, seven more messages were refined to consider alternative terminology. The final text bank includes a total of 67 messages comprising topics related to fruit and vegetable consumption as well as the importance of having variety in the diet (n = 15), limiting fat intake (n = 10), avoiding sugar (n = 11), avoiding salt (n = 5), promoting fiber-rich foods (n = 1), messages promoting physical activity (n = 21), and general check-in messages (n = 4). Most of the text messages were acceptable, understandable, and largely feasible to all participants, with some of the nutrition-related messages being less feasible for participants due to their socioeconomic position. The next step is to assess the text messages in the SA-DPP intervention trial. Full article

(1) Background: The Culinary Medicine elective at the German medical schools of the universities of Göttingen, Giessen, and Brandenburg is a teaching kitchen-based elective aimed at training medical students on how to improve patient counselling on nutrition and lifestyle medicine topics. This curriculum was either delivered virtually (2021) or in-person (2022/2023). Changes in teaching effectiveness were evaluated. (2) Methods: The elective included seven modules in the teaching kitchen for 3 h each. It consisted of a short introduction and a hands-on interactive cooking part illustrating important dietary principles in different disease groups. The elective was conducted virtually in 2021 in a fully interactive setup using videoconference tools. Students in this cohort attended from their private kitchens whereas students in the in-person cohort (2022/2023) attended the same classes in the teaching kitchen. Standardized comparative self-assessment questionnaires on counselling competencies, nutrition knowledge, eating habits, and mental well-being (WHO-5) before and after the elective were used to determine teaching effectiveness. Paired and unpaired t-tests were performed to evaluate results. (3) Results: A total of 70 students (mean semester 6.3) were included in the virtual cohort, and 80 students (mean semester 6.3) were in the in-person cohort. In both, counselling competencies on 25 nutrition and lifestyle medicine topics increased significantly. Significant changes also occurred in most nutrition knowledge categories. Subjective well-being as well as personal attitudes towards nutrition counselling in medical practice improved significantly during the elective. Healthy eating habits improved in both groups as students ate significantly less unfavourable foods. There were no significant differences between the two groups apart from minor differences in nutrition knowledge. (4) Conclusions: The elective in Culinary Medicine improved students counselling competencies, nutrition knowledge, attitudes, well-being, and eating habits with no relevant difference between virtual and in-person teaching. Full article

Most physicians report inadequate training to provide diet and lifestyle counseling to patients despite its importance to chronic disease prevention and management. To fill the nutrition training gap, elective Culinary Medicine (CM) courses have emerged as an alternative to curriculum reform. We evaluated the impact of an interprofessional CM course for medical and health professional students who experienced the hands-on cooking component in person or a in mixed-mode format (in-person and via Zoom) at the University of Utah from 2019–2023 (n = 84). A factorial ANOVA assessed differences between educational environment and changes between pre- and post-course survey responses related to diet and lifestyle counseling, interprofessional communication, and health behaviors and advocacy. Qualitative comments from post-course surveys were analyzed on a thematic level. Students rated themselves as having greater confidence and competence in diet and lifestyle counseling (p < 0.05) and increased ability to prepare eight healthy meals (p < 0.05). Additionally, a Mann–Whitney two-sample rank-sum test was used to compare data from exit survey responses from medical students who took the CM course (n = 48) and did not take the CM course (n = 297). Medical students who took CM were significantly more likely to agree that they could counsel patients about nutrition (p < 0.05) and physical activity (p < 0.05). CM courses may improve students’ confidence to provide diet and lifestyle counseling. Full article