Abstract
Background: Behavioral modification programs have been applied to changes body composition, dietary behavior (DB), and physical activity (PA). However, the effectiveness of those programs among Thai high school students who are overweight in rural areas is less evident. Therefore, we examined the effects of a school-based behavioral modification program (SBM) among high school students with overweight.
Study Design: A randomized controlled trial.
Methods: The study was carried out from November 2022 to May 2023 among overweight high school students. One hundred overweight students were randomly allocated to intervention (n=50) and control (n=50) groups. The intervention group received an SBM, while the control group went through their usual educational program. The chi-square test, independent-samples t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, ANOVA, and Cochran’s Q test were applied for data analyses.
Results: Both groups were female (72.0%), with a mean age of 17.03 years. At the follow-up, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in DB and PA and decreased sedentary behavior compared to the control group (P<0.05). Additionally, statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups were observed regarding biceps (P=0.001), triceps (P=0.031), and waist circumference (P<0.001).
Conclusions: The SBM effectively increased students’ PA and improved dietary behaviors (DBs), decreasing sedentary behavior and changing body composition. This indicated that the SBM was useful for healthcare providers or teachers to promote healthy behaviors among students and school curricula as well as applied in related research in different factors and situations.