Long Term Lifestyle Modifications on Submaximal Exercise Tolerance Test in Overweight Children, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Background: The ability of the body to maintain continuous rhythmical exercise is referred to as cardio-vascular endurance. Based on previous longitudinal studies, obese children have a higher chance of becoming overweight adults in future. So this study was examining the impact of a school-based lifestyle modifications intervention on overweight and health outcomes among school children for a period of one and a half years. Methodology: The study design was randomized control trial 145 overweight children randomly recruited from 1300 healthy children. Seventy three overweight children from first school was Group A Experimental group and 72 overweight children from second school was Group B Control group. Participants in the study had an average BMI of 85 to 95 percentiles for their age and sex range, and they had to be 11 to 15 years old. Group A was treated with Lifestyle modifications like exercises, nutritional guidelines, and active lifestyle methods along with pamphlet. Group B was given oral instructions and given pamphlet with all instructions. 6MWT was used as an outcome measure to test submaximal exercise tolerance. Results: Group A showed significant improvement in all parameters like distance walked, VO2 Max, resting heart rate, blood pressure than Group B at P < 0.05. Conclusion: The study concluded that 18 months of lifestyle modifications are effective in improving the submaximal exercise tolerance in overweight school going children. Government policy makers and school authorities should take extreme steps to encourage physical activity