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New Delhi, August 29, 2019 :
The Happy Life, Healthy Heart programme randomly allocated 10 public schools (473 students aged 6 to 12 and 32 teachers) in the city of Frederico Westphalen, Brazil, to the intervention group (five schools) or control group (five schools). The intervention had two stages: teacher training followed by students in the classroom.
Teachers attended four meetings over a four-month period, were given a booklet, and had access to video lessons. The material was in seven chapters: 1) risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in childhood; 2) choice of healthy foods; 3) food labelling; 4) sodium, sugars and fats; 5) emotional health and quality of life; 6) physical activity; and 7) healthy practices and changes in habits. Each section contained theory plus suggestions for classroom activities based on the theme, age of the children, and intended goals. The researcher visited the intervention schools to stimulate teachers and offer guidance.
For the control group schools, teachers did not participate in the training course and students attended the school’s usual classes about health and healthy eating based on the curriculum.
Both students and teachers benefitted from the intervention. The proportion of students following Brazilian Food Guide advice to avoid pizza/hamburgers and soft drinks increased significantly by 15% and 20%, respectively. In addition, there was a 28% increase in the number of teachers who were physically active.
