The effects of aerobic exercises and healthy life education on nutrition, physical activity and obesity awareness for students between the ages of 12-14,

The Effects of Aerobic Exercises and Healthy Life Education on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Awareness for Students between the Ages of 12-14, Master's Thesis, Van, 2019. It is known that obesity during childhood is caused by the imbalance between the long-term energy take and energy consume. Thus, this study aims to research the effects of aerobic exercises and healthy life education on nutrition, physical activity and obesity awareness for students between the ages of 12-14. At the beginning, antropometric measurements of all female students including height and weight were taken and their body mass index, percentile and Z-score were measured. After that, three groups of female students who take place in normal weight group and obese group were composed; 25 subject obese, 25 obese control and 25 normal weight, in total 75 female students were gathered. Then, all groups were given a physical activity and obesity awareness questionnaire. Their physical convenience measurements, the number of their footsteps inside and outside the school were recorded. Through 8 weeks, aerobic exercises programme was applied by the subject group three days a week. They were also given courses about the importance of healthy diet and physical activity once a week. All the test applied at the beginning of the study were repeated at the end. Shapiro-Wilk normality test was applied to the data received from the study. Paired Samples T-Test was applied for normally distributed variables. For non-normally distributed variables, Wilcoxan Signed Rank Test was applied. Significance level was accepted as p<0.05. As a result, a significant change was observed in the body mass index, Percentile and Z-score average assets of the subject group after the pre-test and post-test measurements. (p<0.01). When we analysed the the number of their footsteps, on weekdays, it increased from 11042.7±1596.7 to 15449.9±1024.2 on Mondays; from 10504.6±988.0 to 10504.6±988.0 on Wednesdays, from 12730.9±1241.2 to 15290.8±1063.6 on Fridays. At the weekends, it increased from 9445.6±1954.3 to 11148.0±1124.9 on Saturdays and from 9435.3±842.4 to 1352.4±938.8 on Sundays (p<0.01). Likewise, a significance increase was acquired in the total points of obesity awareness and physical activity of the subject group (p<0.01). When the research results were analysed with literature review, positives changes were acquired through 8 weeks in the body composition, physical convenience parameters, the number of footsteps on weekdays and at the weekends, obesity awareness and physical activity levels of the subject group with help of aerobic exercises and seminars about physical activity and the importance of health. Consequently, it is believed that seminars about the damages of obesity and the importance of health and doing physical exercises at the early childhood can be a significant health and pyhsical activity service in terms of protecting children from obesity in the long term. Key Words Obesity, nutrition habits, aerobic exercises, physical activity, healthy living.