Abstract

NEBOT PARADELLS, Vicente et al. Effects of an intervention program (HHP) on the promotion of healthy habits in early adolescence. Nutr. Hosp. [online]. 2015, vol.32, n.6, pp.2640-2649. ISSN 1699-5198.  https://dx.doi.org/10.3305/nh.2015.32.6.9858.

Background: it is vital to monitor and promote healthy lifestyle habits in early adolescence, as it is a time of changes when future lifestyle habits are formed. Methods: a study was conducted to find out the effects of a Healthy Habits Program (HHP) in children between the ages of 10 and 12 years (N = 158). The study included an intervention group (IG) (n = 90), which participated in the HHP for 8 months, and a control group (CG) (n = 100). In order to assess healthy habits in these children we used the Inventory of Healthy Habits (IHH), the reliability of which was previously evaluated (N = 134). Results: the IHH obtained good reliability, Interclass Correlation Coefficient (range .506 - 884; p < .001) and Spearman Correlation Coefficient (range r = 529 - 884; p < .001). As regards the HHP, there were no differences in eating habits initially (p = .564), but by the end of the study (p = .001) the IG showed better habits. As for the other healthy habits indicators, the CG had better habits initially (p = .047), but the score of the IG improved and there were no differences between the groups at the end of the study. Conclusions: it was shown that the IHH is a suitable and reliable questionnaire for studying habits in adolescents. The HHP brought about changes in the IG, which achieved better scores for eating habits and sum of health habits.

Keywords : Early adolescence; Health; Healthy habits; Intervention; School.

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