International Journal of Preventive Medicine (Int J Prev Med)2008-7802112017122018641864ENDepartment of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Research Center, Research Institute for Children Health, Mofd Children’s Medical Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, TehranDepartment of Nutrition, Mofd Children's Medical Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,TehranDepartment of Health Psychology, Research Center of Education Ministry Studies, TehranDepartment of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Research Center, Research Institute for Children Health & Department of Nutrition, Mofd Children’s Medical Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, TehranDepartment of Nutrition, Mofd Children's Medical Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,TehranDepartment of Nutrition, Mofd Children's Medical Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,TehranDepartment of Nutrition, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non‑communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, IsfahanDepartment of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Research Center, Research Institute for Children Health, Mofd Children’s Medical Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, TehranDepartment of Nutrition, Provincial Health Center, Mashad University of Medical Sciences, MashadDepartment of Nutrition, Provincial Health Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, TehranDepartment of Nutrition, Provincial Health Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, IsfahanDepartment of Nutrition, Provincial Health Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, GorganDepartment of Nutrition, Provincial Health Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, AhvazDepartment of Nutrition, Provincial Health Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, ArdabilDepartment of Health Psychology, Research Center of Education Ministry Studies, TehranDepartment of Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, TehranDepartment of Health Psychology, Research Center of Education Ministry Studies & Department of Health Education and Promotion, Tarbiat Modarres University, TehranDepartment of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Social Sciences, Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences, Uppsala University, UppsalaDepartment of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non‑communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan20171220<p><span class="fontstyle0"><strong>Background</strong>: </span><span class="fontstyle2">The World Health Organization program on Ending Childhood Obesity (WHO‑ECHO) has developed a comprehensive and integrated package of recommendations to address childhood obesity. The present study, entitled IRAN‑ECHO, was designed and implemented in the<br />framework of the WHO‑ECHO program. </span></p><p><strong></strong><span class="fontstyle0"><strong>Methods</strong>: </span><span class="fontstyle2">The IRAN‑ECHO program is implementing multicomponent interventions by considering life course dimensions. The program has two parts: a population approach and an individual approach. The population approach considers different periods in life, including prenatal, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, as well as family and society. The individual approach targets those children or adolescents with overweight or obesity; this part is conducted as a referral system that is now integrated in the current national health system. As part of the population approach, a quasi‑experimental study was conducted in six provinces to compare<br />the status before and after implementing parts of the interventions. By intersectoral collaboration with different organizations, multicomponent interventions are conducted for different age groups.<br /></span></p><p><span class="fontstyle0"><strong>Results</strong>: </span><span class="fontstyle2">The IRAN‑ECHO program is being conducted in six provinces, and will be considered in all provinces in the near future. Its main effects could be assessed in future years. Part of this program that was conducted as a quasi‑experimental survey comprised 7149 students and showed that a high percentage of students had acceptable knowledge about adverse health effects of overweight and obesity. However, the knowledge about the low nutritional value of unhealthy snacks such as potato chips, puffs, industrial juices, and carbonated drinks was not appropriate. Many<br />participants had the undesirable attitude of skipping one of the main meals when attempting to lose weight. </span></p><p><strong></strong><span class="fontstyle0"><strong>Conclusions</strong>: </span><span class="fontstyle2">The IRAN‑ECHO program is presenting the feasibility of conducting the WHO‑ECHO recommendations in Iran. The scope of potential policy recommendations to decrease childhood obesity is extensive and includes various elements. This program considers multisectoral interventions through population and individual approaches. The multicomponent interventions of this program address the obesogenic environment by considering the life course dimensions. It is expected that, by its life course interventions, it could help in primordial and primary prevention of noncommunicable diseases.<br /></span></p><p><span class="fontstyle0" style="color: #00652e;"><strong>Keywords</strong>: </span><span class="fontstyle3">Individual approach, obesity, population approach, prevention, risky behaviors</span> <br style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /></p>http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/view/1864http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/download/1864/2141