Abstract

Background: Non communicable diseases (NCDs) contribute to around 5.87 million deaths that account for 60% of all deaths in India. India shares more than two-third of the total deaths due to NCDs in the South-East Asia Region (SEAR) of WHO. Four behavioral risk factors are responsible for significant proportions of these diseases tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol. Hence, school based Healthy life style curriculum development is the need of the hour for school children.
Objectives: 1. To promote healthy lifestyle, by implementing school based intervention program to prevent emergence of risk factors for Cardiovascular Diseases among school children.
2. To evaluate the intervention programme at the end of 2 year, in terms of Change in the knowledge and Practice of healthy lifestyle in study subjects.
Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in the randomly selected schools of Bagalkot. A total of 598 students in intervention group and 575 students in control group participated in the study. After obtaining informed consent from institutional ethical committee, baseline information about the knowledge and practice
about aspects of healthy lifestyle to prevent cardiovascular diseases was obtained. For intervention group, multicomponent programme was implemented based on CATCH (Child and Adolescent trial for Cardiovascular Health) Model and the Comprehensive School health programme Model by the USA, Center For Disease Control
(CDC). After 2 years, post-interventional data was done.
Results: There was statistically significant change in the knowledge and practice among the intervention group when compared to control group. There was change in the knowledge about physical activity, healthy eating habits and physical activities. Regular physical activities, Yoga and Meditation were started. Majority of the
students attained normal BMI after the intervention. Obesity reduced in the intervention group. Knowledge scores about ill-effects of tobacco and alcohol improved following intervention.
Conclusion: The life style changes such as physical activity, yoga and Meditation are the need of the hour among the schoolchildren. The study results showed that regular physical activities and Yoga and meditation helps in maintenance of good health as well as prevents the cardiovascular diseases in the future life.

Key words: School based intervention; Healthy life style; Non-communicable disease