Skip to main content

Table 1 The HEIA-study: Intervention components implemented in 6th and 7th grade in 12 Norwegian schools in 2007–2009

From: Intervention effects on physical activity: the HEIA study - a cluster randomized controlled trial

Setting/arena

What

Timing

Purpose

Class (Initiated by classroom-teachers)

Lessons with student booklet:

Once per month - 6th grade winter/spring

Increase awareness of behavior-health relationship, recommended intake levels and own intake

1. Diet and physical activity

2. Meals

3. 5 a day

4. Sugar rich beverages

5. Your choice

Posters for classrooms

Monthly - throughout the intervention

As a daily reminder of main messages (topic matched fact sheets to parents)

- Key messages, A4-size, placed on a larger “frame-poster” including the HEIA logo

Fruit and vegetable (FV) break

Once a week – throughout the intervention

Increase FV intake; cut, serve, taste and eat FV with class mates

- Cutting equipment per class provided, students brought FV

Physical activity (PA) break

Once a week – throughout the intervention

Increase PA; introduce PA also outside of PE and by classroom-teachers

- 10 minutes of PA conducted in regular classrooms, booklet with ideas and CD provided

Sports equipment for recess activities

Every day - throughout the intervention (some equipment refill at beginning of 7th grade)

Increase PA; stimulate PA during recess – especially among those who do not play ball games

- 1–2 large boxes per school. Examples of content: Frisbees, jump-ropes, elastic bands, hockey-sticks, a variety of balls

Active commuting campaigns

5 x 3 weeks: 6th grade: fall, winter and spring

Increase PA; stimulate activity

- Register days with active transport to/from school for 3 weeks (5 campaigns)

7th grade: fall, winter

Pedometer:

7th grade

Increase awareness about PA level; stimulate activity

- One class-set per school to be used in PE (SPARK), as tasks at school, as home assignment and active commuting

Computer tailored individual advice

7th grade

Increase awareness of;

1. Fruit

Fall

- recommended intake and PA level

2. Vegetables

Fall

- own intake of FV, PA level and hours of screen time

3. Physical activity

Winter/spring

Received personal advise about what and how to change

4. Screen time

Winter/spring

5. Sugar sweetened beverages

Winter/spring

+ one-week action plans for each topic (instruction on what, where and when to try one of the pieces of advice for behavior change)

Home/parents

Fact sheets

Monthly - throughout the intervention, one behavior per fact sheet

To stimulate parents to evaluate and change the home environment with regards to facilitating or regulating the targeted behaviors

Facts on targeted behaviors. Practical tasks/challenges for leisure time/weekends in 7th grade

Brochures/information sheets

Once

To ensure that the fact sheets were read and discussed/applied to the home environment

Teachers were provided info sheets about the FV break that they could use to inform parents about these

  

Brochures:

Once

To provide knowledge and inspiration

- “Cutting FV”

- “Meals – a value worth fighting for”. Handed out together with related fact sheets

School wide

Kick-off meetings at each school

Once a year - 6th and 7th grade (fall), 2–3 hours each time

To inform the school management, teachers, school nurse and parent committees about the project and establish/inform the grade level teachers as the “HEIA-team” at school

- Teacher manuals presented, practical activities tested, material partially provided

Inspirational courses for PE teachers

Once a year - 6th and 7th grade (fall), 6 hours each time

Teacher-training for PE teachers; methods/activities to increase activity time, enjoyment and self-efficacy for all students during PE classes

- SPARK ideas/principles [20]

Resource box for school management

Optional

Focus on healthy food/drinks offered in school/during school events

- Offer to order free tool box for cutting and selling FV

Committee meetings

Optional

Aimed to stimulate easy-to-do changes on the school grounds that could stimulate activity (booklet/ideas provided). Increase awareness of healthy foods and beverages

-Meetings with school environment groups/parent committees

  

Leisure time activities (NGO’s)*

Information folder and offer to receive a resource box with equipment for cutting and selling FV

7th grade (fall)

Create awareness about leisure time activity leaders as role models for dietary habits, to reflect upon availability of food/drinks during practices and special events (i.e. tournaments, weekend training sessions, etc.)

  1. FV, fruits and vegetables, PA, physical activity, PE, physical education, NGO, non-governmental organization. *Not successfully implemented.