Aim of this study 1. To examine the development of motor competence over time in primary school children. 2. To study differences in this development according to the SES of the child’s school district.
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Background: The environment affects children’s energy balance-related behaviors to a considerable extent. A context-based physical activity and nutrition school- and family-based intervention, named KEIGAAF, is being implemented in low socio-economic neighborhoods in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The aim of this study was to investigate: 1) the effectiveness of the KEIGAAF intervention on BMI z-score, waist circumference, physical activity, sedentary behavior, nutrition behavior, and physical fitness of primary school children, and 2) the process related to the implementation of the intervention. Methods: A quasi-experimental, controlled study with eight intervention schools and three control schools was conducted. The KEIGAAF intervention consists of a combined top-down and bottom-up school intervention: a steering committee developed the general KEIGAAF principles (top-down), and in accordance with these principles, KEIGAAF working groups subsequently develop and implement the intervention in their local context (bottom-up). Parents are also invited to participate in a family-based parenting program, i.e., Triple P Lifestyle. Children aged 7 to 10 years old (grades 4 to 6 in the Netherlands) are included in the study. Effect evaluation data is collected at baseline, after one year, and after two years by using a child questionnaire, accelerometers, anthropometry, a physical fitness test, and a parent questionnaire. A mixed methods approach is applied for the process evaluation: quantitative (checklists, questionnaires) and qualitative methods (observations, interviews) are used. To analyze intervention effectiveness, multilevel regression analyses will be conducted. Content analyses will be conducted on the qualitative process data. Discussion: Two important environmental settings, the school environment and the family environment, are simultaneously targeted in the KEIGAAF intervention. The combined top-down and bottom-up approach is expected to make the intervention an effective and sustainable version of the Health Promoting Schools framework. An elaborate process evaluation will be conducted alongside an effect evaluation in which multiple data collection sources (both qualitative and quantitative) are used.
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The aim of the current study was to evaluate the one- and two-year effectiveness of the KEIGAAF intervention, a school-based mutual adaptation intervention, on the BMI z-score (primary outcome), and energy balance-related behaviors (secondary outcomes) of children aged 7–10 years. A quasi-experimental study was conducted including eight intervention schools and three control schools located in low socioeconomic neighborhoods in the Netherlands. Baseline measurements were conducted in March and April 2017 and repeated after one and 2 years. Data were collected on children’s BMI z-score, sedentary behavior (SB), physical activity (PA) behavior, and nutrition behavior through the use of anthropometric measurements, accelerometers, and questionnaires, respectively. All data were supplemented with demographics, and weather conditions data was added to the PA data. Based on the comprehensiveness of implemented physical activities, intervention schools were divided into schools having a comprehensive PA approach and schools having a less comprehensive approach. Intervention effects on continuous outcomes were analyzed using multiple linear mixed models and on binary outcome measures using generalized estimating equations. Intervention and control schools were compared, as well as comprehensive PA schools, less comprehensive PA schools, and control schools. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were calculated. In total, 523 children participated. Children were on average 8.5 years old and 54% were girls. After 2 years, intervention children’s BMI z-score decreased (B = -0.05, 95% CI -0.11;0.01) significantly compared to the control group (B = 0.20, 95% CI 0.09;0.31). Additionally, the intervention prevented an age-related decline in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) (%MVPA: B = 0.95, 95% CI 0.13;1.76). Negative intervention effects were seen on sugar-sweetened beverages and water consumption at school, due to larger favorable changes in the control group compared to the intervention group. After 2 years, the comprehensive PA schools showed more favorable effects on BMI z-score, SB, and MVPA compared to the other two conditions. This study shows that the KEIGAAF intervention is effective in improving children’s MVPA during school days and BMI z-score, especially in vulnerable children. Additionally, we advocate the implementation of a comprehensive approach to promote a healthy weight status, to stimulate children’s PA levels, and to prevent children from spending excessive time on sedentary behaviors.
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Bij de ontwikkeling van kinderen speelt de omgeving waarin zij opgroeien en de wijze waarop zij zich verbonden voelen met hun buurt een belangrijke rol (Owens, 2004; 2016). Om als basisschool goed bij te kunnen dragen aan de ontwikkeling van kinderen is het van belang dat scholen de omgeving en de buurt waarin hun leerlingen opgroeien kennen en kunnen benutten voor hun onderwijs. In het bijzonder gaat het daarbij om de betekenis die deze omgeving voor hun leerlingen heeft. Voor basisscholen in wijken met een grote diversiteit aan inwoners kan de betekenis van eenzelfde omgeving voor verschillende leerlingen ook zeer verschillend zijn. Naar de wijze waarop kinderen zich verbonden voelen met de fysieke en sociale ruimte is nog weinig onderzoek gedaan (Tani, 2016). Naast inzicht in de bestaande verbinding van kinderen met hun omgeving is het voor het onderwijs belangrijk om inzicht te verkrijgen in de wijze waarop kinderen in staat kunnen worden gesteld om zich te binden aan een plek en om deze plek te benutten bij hun ontwikkeling. De capability approach (Nussbaum, 2014) en een perspectief op de veerkracht van kinderen (Enthoven, 2007) bieden een kader om naar dit vraagstuk te kijken. Het onderzoek richt zich op wat het primair onderwijs kan doen om de aan de omgeving gerelateerde vermogens van kinderen te ontwikkelen. Onderwijs waarin de leefomgeving van kinderen wordt betrokken of waarin de leefomgeving op enige wijze een rol speelt kan hiertoe een middel zijn. Dit vanuit de notie dat door het ontwikkelen van een ‘sense of place’ (Dolan, 2016) de kennis, persoonlijke verbondenheid en verantwoordelijkheid voor de lokale omgeving versterkt kunnen worden. Het onderzoek zal na een verkennende fase een ontwerpgericht karakter krijgen, waarbij op onderzoeksmatige wijze materiaal wordt ontwikkeld dat bruikbaar is op basisscholen en lerarenopleidingen basisonderwijs.
Bullying at school is an emotionally charged topic that significantly tests the relationship between parents and teachers. It is a sensitive issue as it directly relates to the child's upbringing at home. Furthermore, parents and teachers have differing perspectives on the child, and the strategies they adopt to curb bullying are based on different perspectives and spheres of influence. In recent years, a variety of measures have been implemented in order to combat bullying at primary schools. Many different anti-bullying programmes have been developed for schools and a wide range of methods, training courses and tools are available to help teachers work together with parents in order to optimise their child's educational development. However, all of these anti-bullying methods lack concrete advice and tools to help teachers work together with parents whose children are personally involved in an incidence of bullying, despite experts across the board agreeing that cooperation between parents and teachers is of vital importance.The goal of this project is to develop an effective strategy to facilitate cooperation between parents and teachers that can be employed in the event of bullying as a supplement to existing anti-bullying programmes. This consortium's ambition is to boost the social safety of children in primary education by applying expertise in the field of bullying and parental involvement, and by combining past experiences.
