Elling Tufte Bere

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Experiences from a randomized controlled trial on cycling to school: Is increased cycling associated with a change in cardiovascular fitness? Purpose: The objective of the present study is to investigate whether starting cycling to school is associated with a change in cardiovascular fitness. Methods: A randomized controlled trial evaluating the effects of a 12- week cycling to school intervention. A total of 47 ten to thirteen-year-old children from one public school were included. Inclusion criteria for the children to participate was that they had not cycled to school for the last three months (December-February). The children were randomized into either a cycling group or a control group. The cycling group was encouraged to cycle to and from school all days during a period of 12-weeks. Peak oksygen consumption (V02peak) and anthropometrical data (weight and height) were measured at baseline and at the end of the 12 weeks period. Results: During the study there was a 6.3 % increase in V02peak (from 46.4 mLO2/min/kg, to 49.3 mL/min/kg, p=0.006) in total. No significant difference were observed in V02peak change over the 12 week period between the cycling group and the control group (2.2 mL O2/min/kg vs. 3.3 mL/min/kg, p=0.257). Within the intervention group 69% started cycling and within the control group 41% started cycling. When analysing those who started cycling to school, a significant difference in V02peak was observed between those starting cycling and those not starting cycling (8.7% increase vs. 2.5%, p<0.022). Conclusion: This study indicates that cycling to school improve cardiovascular fitness. Keywords: Children, active commuting, peak oksygen consumtion, school

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Objective: To report main mode of commuting to school in Norway in relation to season, sex, parental education level and distance to school. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the ATN study, including 1345 10-12 year olds from 28 schools. Modes of commuting and socio-demographic variables were assessed by questionnaire. Based on the average number of trips/week the pupils were categorized into one specific mode of commuting if more than 50% of the trips were conducted by that specific mode. This was conducted for the fall, winter and spring separately and for the whole year in total. Results: The proportions of the participants categorized as walkers, cyclists, car- and bus commuters (whole year) were 28 %, 36 %, 3 % and 13 % respectively (20 % not categorized). Regarding seasonality, a trend of cyclists converting to being walkers or car commuters during wintertime was observed. A total of 52%, 3% and 50% were categorized as cyclist in fall, winter and spring, respectively. The same figures were respectively 24%, 64% and 25% for walkers and 4%, 8% and 3% for car commuters. Girls and not native Norwegians were more likely to be walkers, while boys and children of parents with higher education were more likely to be cyclist. Those living more than 4km away from school were more likely to be car- and bus commuters. Conclusion: Most children reported to be active commuters to school. Seasonal variation and significant associations with sex, parental education level, ethnicity and distance were observed.

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Purpose The evaluation of a pilot version of a free school fruit program in Norway has reported that this program was effective in increasing fruit and vegetable intake, it tended to decrease consumption of unhealthy snacks, and it also reported lasting effects after the end of the pilot program. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effect of the free fruit pilot program on weight status. Methods A total of nine schools received free school fruit for a school year (October 2001 until June 2002), and 29 schools were included in the study as control schools (n=1950, initial age 10-12). Questionnaire surveys were conducted in September 2001, May 2002, May 2005 and September 2009. Weight and height were only reported in 2005 and 2009. Perceived weight status were assessed by a question on dieting, dichotomising the alternatives into; 1=I am too heavy, 0=my weight is OK. Results A total of 13% in the free fruit group and 12% in the control group (p=0.64) were overweight in 2005, while 15% in the free fruit group and 26% in the control group (p=0.03) were overweight in 2009. The proportion that perceived themselves to be too heavy were not significantly different between the groups (p>0.05) at any of the time points. Conclusion It appears that those receiving free school fruit in 2001/02 were less overweight in 2009. However, low participating rate in 2009 (only 16%) and no baseline measures of height and weight are clear limitations of this study.

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Aims: To assess adolescents? eating/drinking habits of a selection of healthy and unhealthy food items at school, gender and SES variations in these eating habits, and variations between the schools. Methods: A cross-sectional study among 2870 adolescents (mean age: 15.5 years) within the Fruits and Vegetables Make the Marks (FVMM) project. A survey questionnaire was completed by the pupils in the classroom in the presence of a trained project worker. One school-lesson (45 minutes) was used to complete the questionnaire. A total of two healthy (fruit and vegetables (FV), water) and five unhealthy (candy and/or potato chips, sweet bakery, instant noodles, regular soft drinks and diet soft drinks) food items were assessed by food frequency questions. All variables were dichotomised to less than once a week and once a week or more. Results: Several pupils reported to consume snacks (33 %), sweet bakery (36 %) and regular soft drinks (24 %) at school at least once a week. The proportion of pupils who reported to eat FV at least once a week (40 %) was low. Girls and pupils with plans of higher education had a more favourable intake of healthy versus unhealthy food items at school. In two-level variance component analyses the proportional school variation ranged from 3.4% (diet soft drinks) to 30.7% (noodles). Conclusion: A large number of adolescents consume unhealthy food items at school, and few eat FV. Large differences were observed between groups of pupils and between the schools in consumption of these foods.

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Aims: To assess adolescents? eating/drinking habits of a selection of healthy and unhealthy food items at school, gender and SES variations in these eating habits, and variations between the schools. Methods: A cross-sectional study among 2870 adolescents (mean age: 15.5 years) within the Fruits and Vegetables Make the Marks (FVMM) project. A survey questionnaire was completed by the pupils in the classroom in the presence of a trained project worker. One school-lesson (45 minutes) was used to complete the questionnaire. A total of two healthy (fruit and vegetables (FV), water) and five unhealthy (candy and/or potato chips, sweet bakery, instant noodles, regular soft drinks and diet soft drinks) food items were assessed by food frequency questions. All variables were dichotomised to less than once a week and once a week or more. Results: Several pupils reported to consume snacks (33 %), sweet bakery (36 %) and regular soft drinks (24 %) at school at least once a week. The proportion of pupils who reported to eat FV at least once a week (40 %) was low. Girls and pupils with plans of higher education had a more favourable intake of healthy versus unhealthy food items at school. In two-level variance component analyses the proportional school variation ranged from 3.4% (diet soft drinks) to 30.7% (noodles). Conclusion: A large number of adolescents consume unhealthy food items at school, and few eat FV. Large differences were observed between groups of pupils and between the schools in consumption of these foods.

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Purpose. To report the test-retest reliability of a newly developed comprehensive questionnaire on active commuting to school and work among 6th grade school children and their parents. Methods. A total of 106 pupils and 77 parents completed a questionnaire two times, 14 days apart. The questionnaire consisted of frequency items on how often the participants walk, cycle, go by car and go by public transportation to school (pupils) or work (parents). The questionnaire was divided into seasons and ?to/from? in order to cover seasonal and topographic variations. The average number of trips for each mode of commuting was calculated. Then the sample was categorised into mode of commuting: walkers, cyclists, car commuters or public transport commuters. In order to be classified into a mode of commuting, more than 50% of the trips had to be conducted by that specific mode. Results: The average numbers of trips did not differ for any of the commuting modes comparing test to retest data (p-values were 0.58-0.91 for pupils and 0.26-0.51 for parents). Test-retest correlation coefficients were high for all modes of commuting (Spearman correlation coefficient were 0.85-0.92 for pupils and 0.82-0.85 for parents, all p-values ?0.001). Most participants were categorized into the same mode of commuting (92% to 100% for both pupils and parents). Less than 10% were not classified into mode of commuting (both pupils and parents, both test and retest data). Conclusions: This newly developed questionnaire appears to be a reliable tool for measuring active commuting to school and work.

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Forekomsten av overvekt hos barn og unge er økende på verdensbasis. Ved institutt for foilkehelse, idrett og ernæring er vi med på et EU-prosjekt sammen med 10 andre land, kalt ENERGY. Prosjektet har som mål å forebygge overvekt hos barn og unge. Hvilke atferder hos barn og unge er viktigst å fokusere på for å fremme sunn vektutvikling? Er for eksempel brusdrikking, juicedrikking, fysisk aktivitet, PC/TV tid eller måltidsmønster av størst betydning? Disse spørsmålene skal vi undersøke nærmere i ENERGY. Politikerne i Kristiansan har valgt å ikke prioritere en ekstra time fysisk aktivitet som ble innført i ungdomskolen. Dette synes vi er synd, og dette er desværre også sannsynligvis med på å øke de sosiale forskjellene i samfunnnet.

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The purpose was to assess the relationship between meal frequency and weight status, and to assess potential moderators of this relationship. Eating four meals/day was significantly negatively related to being overweight, indicating that meal frequency might play a role in prevention of excess weight gain.

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Eating meals, and thereby snacking less, might prevent excess weight gain. The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationships between skipping meals and weight status. A total of 2870 adolescents (mean age: 15.5 years) at 33 schools completed questionnaires in May 2005 (project FVMM). Questions included whether they ate breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper yesterday. Sex, height, weight, education plans (as an indicator of SES), intake of fruits and vegetables (FV), consumption of unhealthy snacks, TV/PC watching and physical activity level were also measured. A total of 21% skipped breakfast, 15% skipped lunch, 8% skipped dinner and 28% skipped supper. Those skipping breakfast and supper were more often overweight than those not skipping those meals, respectively 16.2% vs. 11.3% (p=0.03) and 15.4% vs. 11.1% (p=0.03) were overweight. The proportion overweight related to number of meals eaten were: 10% (0-1 meals, n=107), 18% (2 meals, n=399), 14% (3 meals, n=925) and 10% (4 meals, n=1402), p@z0.001. Skipping any meal was lated to a lower FV intake, a higher consumption of unhealthy snacks, more TV/PC watching and to a lower physical activity level. In a logistic regression analysis, adjusting for all variables mentioned, OR for being overweight was 1.2 (95%CI 0.5-2.7), 2.0 (95%CI 1.3-3.0) and 1.7 (95%CI 1.2-2.3), respectively for eating 0-1, 2 and 3 meals compared to 4 meals. Conclusion Skipping one or two meals was significantly related to being overweight, also after adjusting for sex, education plans, eating and activity behaviours.