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Table 1 Characteristics of APPLE School students, APPLE School graduates, comparison schools students and comparison schools graduates

From: Long-term effects of comprehensive school health on health-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, health behaviours and weight status of adolescents

 

2008/09

2015/16

p *

 

APPLE Schools

Comparison Schools

APPLE Schools graduates***

Comparison Schools graduates***

 

No. of schools

10

163

13

13

 

No. of students

277

3300

202

338

 

Gender, %

 Girls

50.2

52.0

48.3

59.1

0.021

 Boys

49.8

48.0

51.7

40.9

 

Age, mean ± SD (years)

10.8 ± 0.4

10.9 ± 0.4

13.8 ± 1.4

14.0 ± 1.3

0.045

Knowledge (mean ± SD)**

2.73 ± 0.69

2.81 ± 0.71

3.26 ± 0.54

3.34 ± 0.49

0.07

Attitude (mean ± SD)**

3.42 ± 0.55

3.44 ± 0.57

2.72 ± 0.51

2.81 ± 0.41

0.04

Self-efficacy for healthy eating (mean ± SD)**

3.12 ± 0.63

3.11 ± 0.61

2.77 ± 0.73

2.81 ± 0.65

0.51

Self-efficacy for physical activity (mean ± SD)**

2.99 ± 0.63

3.09 ± 0.59

2.91 ± 0.76

2.83 ± 0.71

0.259

Dietary outcomes

 Mean dietary energy intake (kcal)/d ± SD

2117 ± 1242

1998 ± 1157

2173 ± 1034

2155 ± 1059

0.848

PA, mean ± SD

 Typical week, steps/d

9081 ± 2638

9798 ± 2960

6810 ± 2549

6667 ± 2586

0.615

 School days, steps/d

9943 ± 2834

10,540 ± 3242

7616 ± 2833

7413 ± 2960

0.528

 Non-school days, steps/d

6928 ± 3799

7944 ± 3851

5177 ± 3476

5067 ± 3188

0.787

 School hours, steps/h

777 ± 218

839 ± 245

653 ± 221

634 ± 231

0.445

 Non-school hours, steps/h

621 ± 300

638 ± 55

340 ± 222

323 ± 227

0.488

Weight status

 Overweight, %

44.4

37.6

44.6

32.3

0.005

 Obesity, %

19.5

14.0

18.7

15.7

0.381

Parental education, %

 Secondary or less

30.5

27.2

23.0

21.8

0.112

 College

41.1

42.1

32.8

24.9

 

 University or above

28.5

30.7

44.3

53.2

 

Household income, %

  < $50,000

34.5

21.6

13.7

24.8

p < 0.001

 $50,001 - $100,000

37.4

40.4

15.3

34.2

 

  > $100,000

28.1

38.0

71.0

41.1

 

Geographic Location, %

 Metropolitan

64.9

24.9

23.8

60.2

p < 0.001

 City

0.0

30.8

76.2

39.8

 

 Rural-town

35.1

44.3

–

–

 
  1. *p < 0.05 – statistically significant difference between APPLE School graduates and comparison school graduates
  2. **Mean score on the four-point scale (please see text)
  3. ***Average number of participants from each school was 41
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BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

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