Biomedical subjects

Benjamin Koch

Publications and source records attributed to Benjamin Koch.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Who benefits from intervention in, as opposed to screening of, overweight and obese children?

AIMS: StEP TWO is a school- and family-based intervention consisting of extra lessons, healthy nutrition and physical education for overweight and obese children in primary schools, aimed at reducing body mass index by maintenance or reduction of weight, and improving motor abilities. We analysed differences in changes in anthropometric, cardiovascular and obesity parameters between children who underwent intervention, non-participants in intervention, and controls. METHODS: Anthropometric data and waist circumference were recorded for 1678 children; body mass index and body mass index-standard deviation score were calculated. Blood pressure was measured after 5 minutes at rest. 121 overweight and obese children enrolled at 3 schools involved in programmes of intervention were invited to take part; 40 of them completed the programme from November 2003 to July 2004. Of these overweight children, 74 were invited, but did not take part. As controls, we enrolled 155 overweight and obese children from 4 other schools. RESULTS: After the programme, the children involved in intervention showed a lower increase in the body mass index (0.3 plus or minus 1.3 versus 0.7 plus or minus 1.2 kilograms per metre squared) and an approximately three times higher diminution of the body mass index-standard deviation score in comparison with their controls (-0.15 plus or minus 0.26 versus 0.05 plus or minus 0.27). Systolic blood pressure was significantly lowered by 9.5 plus or minus 19.6 millimetres of mercury in those involved in intervention, but increased in the control group by 0.5 plus or minus 16.5 millimetres of mercury. Among those invited but not participating, the increase of the body mass index (0.5 plus or minus 1.3 kilograms per metre squared) was less, and the reduction of the body mass index-standard deviation score (-0.09 plus or minus 0.31) and systolic blood pressure (-5.3 plus or minus 15.6 millimetres of mercury) was higher than in the control group. Overweight but not obese children seem to benefit from a screening examination alone. CONCLUSIONS: Early preventive measures in schools are necessary and effective for overweight and obese primary school children. The screening itself seems also to have a minor positive effect, especially for overweight children. Sustainability of the observed improvements over a longer period remains to be confirmed.

Blood Pressure↗

PubMed2005

Data from the StEP TWO programme showing the effect on blood pressure and different parameters for obesity in overweight and obese primary school children.

UNLABELLED: Obesity in childhood, which is associated with cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, is on the increase. Countermeasures are necessary. In this paper, we present the baseline and final data from the StEP TWO programme, a prospective study to prevent overweight and obesity in primary schools. METHODS: We recorded and calculated, from 1689 children, anthropometric data, including analyses of bioelectric impedance, waist and hip circumferences, body mass index and its standard deviation, and the ratio of waist to hip. Blood pressure was measured after 5 minutes at rest. From the three schools involved in a programme of intervention, 121 children were invited to take part, and 40 (33.1 per cent) completed the programme. The effect was compared with 155 overweight and obese children identified at the 4 control schools. RESULTS: 830 (49.5 per cent) boys and 848 girls (50.5 per cent) took part. Their mean age was 8.2 plus or minus 1.3 years, their height was 1.31 plus or minus 0.09 metres, they weighed 30.0 plus or minus 8.2 kilograms, and their mean index of body mass was 17.1 plus or minus 2.9 kilograms per metre squared. Of the children, 7.3 per cent were obese, 10.4 per cent were overweight, 75.7 per cent had normal weights, and 6.6 per cent were underweight. Resting hypertension was observed in 2.3 per cent of the children. Increased blood pressure was associated with a higher body weight, body mass index, standard deviation score for body mass index, and waist and hip circumferences (each p < 0.001), but not with the ratio of waist to hip. Hypertension at rest was also found in 11.0 per cent of obese children, 4.4 per cent of those who were overweight, 1.2 per cent of those with normal weight, and 1.0 per cent of underweight children (p < 0.001). After the intervention, the increase of the body mass index tended to be lower in those in whom we had intervened (p = 0.069), and in these the decrease of the standard deviation score for body mass index was significantly higher (p = 0.028). Systolic blood pressure was reduced by about 10 millimetres of mercury in those in whom we had intervened (p = 0.002), while there were no changes in the control group. Diastolic blood pressure was lowered by 3 millimetres of mercury, but this was not significant. CONCLUSION: Obese children had the highest values for systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Increased levels of blood pressure are associated with other parameters of obesity, such as the circumference of the waist and hip. Early preventive measurements in childhood are necessary, and appropriate intervention appears to be effective.

Blood Pressure↗

PubMed2004

Physical activity, leisure habits and obesity in first-grade children.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are already on the rise in early childhood years. The relationships between genetic factors, malnutrition and physical inactivity are the underlying mechanisms. In this study, we examine the association between body indices, motor abilities and active (sport) and passive (television/computer) leisure time activities in a cohort of first-grade pupils. METHODS: The study group consisted of 344 children (51.5% male, 48.5% female). They were 6.8+/-0.4 years old, height was 123.9+/-4.9 cm, weight 24.8+/-5.0 kg, body mass index (BMI) 16.1+/-2.3 kg/m. After determination of the anthropometric data, a fitness test was performed in order to determine motor abilities. Parents were questioned about their children's leisure time activities, using a standardized questionnaire. Differences between BMI groups were evaluated using multivariate ANCOVA, adjusted for gender and age. RESULTS: Based on German BMI references, overweight and obesity were found in 12% of the children. They had poorer results with respect to endurance (P<0.001), leg strength (P=0.002), co-ordination and balance (P=0.045) and spent more leisure time in watching television and at the computer (each P<0.001). No differences were found between their active leisure habits such as club sports. DISCUSSION: Our examinations with first-grade children show no differences in active leisure habits between obese children and their counterparts, although the former had poorer results in motor abilities, but they spend more time on sedentary leisure habits like audiovisual media. A possible explanation is their fewer regular daily activities.

Analysis of Variance↗