An Environmental Intervention Program to Promote Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Habits: The Impact of the Urban Forest on Israeli At-Risk Youth

Background: The Urban Forest Health Intervention Program was formed at a center for at-risk youth in Israel, in order to promote physical activity, healthy eating habits, self-efficacy and life satisfaction.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the intervention on physical activity, healthy eating habits, self-efficacy and life satisfaction among Israeli at-risk youth.

Methods: The quasi-experimental study ran from September 2016 to June 2017; at-risk youth were randomly selected to participate in the program. Questionnaires were administered to both intervention and control groups before and after the intervention. Univariate and multivariable analyses evaluated the intervention effect.

Results: Repeated measures analyses of covariance were calculated to assess change in group differences. An increase was found in measures of physical activity in the intervention group (p .001) and no change was noted in the control group (activity during the past week p = .340, hours per week in general p = .702). Healthy eating increased in both groups (p = .007), with no significant difference between them (p = .165). Non-healthy eating decreased significantly in the intervention group (p = .002) and increased in the control group (p = .007). Self-efficacy increased in the intervention group (p .001) and no change was noted in the control group (p = .353). Likewise, life satisfaction increased in the intervention group (p .001) and no change was found in the control group (p = .657).

Conclusions: Findings indicate that the environmental intervention was efficacious in increasing physical activity, healthy eating habits, self-efficacy and life satisfaction. The effectiveness of this intervention among larger samples is warranted in future prospective studies.