Moving Countries Toward Healthier Lifestyles

Unhealthy habits learned during childhood often persist through adulthood; so, why not teach healthy habits during early childhood to see if they persist?

This issue of The American Journal of Medicine contains an article that describes the success of a powerful new tool for changing lifestyle habits related to healthy eating and exercise. In recent decades in developed countries, we have seen a shift in the etiologies that most commonly cause death and disability, from infectious diseases to degenerative illnesses related to a significant degree to unhealthy lifestyles. Attempts to change these lifestyle choices in adults have often met with limited success. Earlier studies have tested the hypothesis that childhood interventions aimed at inculcating healthy lifestyle principles might be a more effective way to influence future generations and might have a beneficial spillover effect on the parents of these children.

In this issue, the article by Céspedes et al(1) describes a study involving more than 1000 lower- and middle-class children enrolled in preschools in Bogotá, Columbia, plus their parents and teachers. Children in the intervention group were exposed to educational and play activities, including “Sesame Street” videos and similar other media, that emphasized healthy eating and an active lifestyle. Meanwhile, parents and teachers participated in workshops and training related to healthy habits. Children in the control group continued with their regular preschool curriculum.

Baseline, 6-month, and 18-month surveys revealed a significant change in these very young children’s attitudes toward healthy eating and an active lifestyle, but changes in knowledge, habits, and body mass index were not significant. The intervention group children had a significant increase (10.9%) in their weighted score (knowledge 70, attitudes 20, habits 10).

— To read this article in its entirety, please visit our website.

— Joseph S. Alpert, MD, and Pamela Powers Hannley, MPH

— This article originally appeared in the January 2013 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

Related article: Targeting Preschool Children to Promote Cardiovascular Health: Cluster Randomized Trial