Ph.D. student
Supervisor: Berit L. Heitmann

Research project:

Research Project: The 7-year development of eating habits among Copenhagen school children aged 6 years - A follow-up study based on the Copenhagen School Child Intervention Study
(CoSCIS)

Overweight and obesity is an increasing problem among both children and adults in Denmark as well as the rest of the world. Since overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence are strongly related to overweight and obesity in adulthood the prevention should be initiated early in life. Therefore promoting an active lifestyle and healthy eating habits in the public schools may be important in the prevention of overweight and obesity.
This PhD- project is a follow-up study based on the Copenhagen School Child Intervention Study (CoSCIS), which was initiated in 2001 based on the initiative of Ballerup County to improve health and thrive among children. The initiative included among other two additional exercise lessons per week for zero to third grade children, education of exercise teachers in healthy living and diet, implementation of school canteens serving healthy food, and improvement of the schoolyard environment to stimulate physical activity. The study has followed 704 children from both Ballerup (intervention group) and Tårnby (control group) since they started in school in 2001/2002. In third grade (2004/2005) a follow-up study found significantly higher intake of both fruit and vegetables among the children in Ballerup compared to Tårnby. The purpose of the present study is therefore to assess if the effect of the intervention found in third grade has persisted and if any long-term effects of the health promoting initiatives implemented in Ballerup has occurred afterwards in relation to the children’s food intake. Moreover, to evaluate the development of children’s eating habits from age six to 13 and examine which factors determine tracking of eating habits over time. If the intervention in Ballerup is found to be effective in relation to promoting healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle among the pupils in Ballerup, similar initiatives should be considered implemented in all Danish public schools.

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