Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of a Non-Weight-Centric Approach to Obesity Prevention in Rural and Urban Female Adolescents: Quasi-Experimental Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Obesity is rising among Saudi adolescents, with rural females particularly underserved due to limited health education and sociocultural barriers. Global guidelines promote non-weight-centric approaches to reduce stigma. The Green Apple program delivers school-based, weight-neutral education, with an added metabolic noncommunicable disease (MNCD) prevention unit. Although previously tested in urban settings, it has not yet been evaluated among rural female students.

Objective

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the Green Apple intervention in improving MNCD knowledge and its safety, defined as no adverse psychological (body image discrepancy and disordered eating) or behavioral (sedentary behavior) outcomes.

Methods

This quasi-experimental stud

SUBMITTER: Zuair A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12543216 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature