Healthy Weight Intervention Effect on Weight Control Intention Among Overweight School-Aged Children

Background: The incidence of overweight and obese children is rising all over the world. Various factors are involved, and those deficits affect these children's physical and mental health. Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental research study to examine the effectiveness of a Healthy Weight Intervention (HWI) on weight control intention among overweight school-aged children using the theory of planned behavior. Participants were 9-12 years old, and there were 31 participants in each group. The study duration was six weeks for both groups. The data were collected using questionnaires on demographics, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived self-efficacy, and intention toward weight control behaviors. Descriptive, paired, and independent t-tests were used to analyze the data. Results: The results indicated that the experimental group's attitudes, subjective norms, perceived self-efficacy, and intention toward weight control practices were significantly higher than those of the comparison group and higher than before receiving the program. (p < 0.01). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potential of using an HWI designed based on the theory of planned behavior to promote weight control intention among school-aged children. However, further research is necessary to evaluate the program's long-term effectiveness, including assessing weight control behavior. Keywords: Weight control, Childhood overweight, Theory of planned behavior, School-aged children