School-Based Exercise and Life Style Motivation Intervention (SEAL.MI) on Adolescent’s Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Academic Performance: Catch Them Young

• Authors: Premalatha Paulsamy, Mahalah Branch for Girls King Khalid University; Kalaiselvi Periannan, Oxford Brookes University; Vigneshwaran Easwaran, King Khalid University; Noohu Abdulla Khan, King Khalid University; Vani Manoharan, Emory University Hospital; Krishnaraju Venkatesan, King Khalid University; Absar Ahmed Qureshi, King Khalid University; Kousalya Prabahar, University of Tabuk; Geetha Kandasamy, King Khalid University; Rajalakshimi Vasudevan, King Khalid University; Kumarappan Chidambaram, King Khalid University; Ester Mary Pappiya, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia; Kumar Venkatesan, King Khalid University; Prenave Sethuraj, The TN MGR Medical University
• Journal Title: Healthcare
• Volume: Volume 9, Number 11
• Publisher: MDPI | 2021-11-13
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9111549
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Pharmacy; Health Sciences, Pharmacology; Health Sciences, Nursing
• Keywords: blood pressure; rope exercise; physical activity; lifestyle modification; adolescents; BMI; hypertension; cardiovascular risk factors; academic performance

Abstract

There are shreds of evidence of shared biological mechanisms between obesity and hypertension during childhood intoadulthood, and loads of research literature has proven that it will profoundly cost nations’ economies and health if neglected. The prevention and early diagnosis of cardiovascular risk factors such as overweight and hypertension is an essential strategy for control, effective treatment and prevention of its’ complications. The study aims to assess the effect of school-based Exercise and Lifestyle Motivation Intervention (SEAL-MI) on adolescents’ cardiovascular risk factors and academic performance. An experimental study was conducted among 1005 adolescents—520 and 485 were randomly selected for the control and study groups, respectively.A structured interview questionnaire was used to collect demographic details and data related to dietary habits, physical activity, sleep qualityand academic performance. The study group adolescents were given the SEAL-MI for six months, including a school-based rope exercise for 45 min per day for 5 days a week and a motivation intervention related to dietary habits, physical activity, and sleep. Post tests-1 and 2 were done after 3 and 6 months of intervention.The prevalence of overweight among adolescents was 28.73%, and prehypertension was 9.26%. Among overweight adolescents, the prevalence of prehypertension was found to be very high (32.25%). There was a significant weight reduction in post-intervention B.P. (p = 0.000) and improvement in dietary habits, physical activity, sleep (p = 0.000), and academic performance. A significant positive correlation was found between BMI and SBP (p = 0.000) and BMI and academic performance (p = 0.003). The linear regression analyses revealed that the gender (ß: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.81), age (ß: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.46), family income (ß: 0.2, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.5), residence (ß: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.27), and type of family (ß: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.02) had the strongest correlation with the BMI of the adolescents. Additionally, Mother’s education (ß: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.59) had the strongest correlation with the SBP of the adolescents. In contrast, the DBP was negatively persuaded by age (ß: −0.36, 95% CI: 1.54, 0.29) and gender (ß: −0.26, 95% CI: 1.34, 0.12) of the adolescents. Regular practice of rope exercise and lifestyle modification such as diet, physical activity, and quality sleep among adolescents prevent and control childhood CVD risk factors such asoverweight and hypertension. The SEAL-MI may lead to age-appropriate development of adolescents as well as improve their academic performance and quality of life. Giving importance to adolescents from urban habitats, affluent, nuclear families, and catching them young will change the disease burden significantly.