Group 3 School Health Intervention

Christine Barnabic, Melissa McCrea, & Margie Salata

Group Intervention Plan Outline

1. Health Issue

1. Childhood obesity and the effect that a year-long, school-based physical activity/nutrition intervention program will have on the Body Mass Index (BMI) of overweight and obese elementary school children, as well as on their own and their parents’ physical fitness and nutrition knowledge
2. The Health Belief Model will be applied to the intervention.

2. Health Intervention Goals

1. Decrease unhealthy BMI of student participants
2. Increase the physical fitness and nutrition knowledge of student and parent participants
3. Increase student participants’ self-efficacy in maintaining regular physical activity and proper nutrition throughout their lifetime

3. Target Demographics

1. Elementary school students (grades K-5) with BMI >/= 85%
2. Parents of above mentioned students

4. Intervention Activities

1. After School Program for Students(in school gym/fields/designated classroom)

1. Physical Activity Program

1. Recruit overweight/obese students, identified by school nurse based on high BMI measurements; mail consent forms to parents; follow-up cues to action- phone calls/flyers to parents by nurse
2. Play-based physical activity program conducted by PE teacher,

3 days per week / 1 hr. per session

3. Students complete weekly activity log with their parents

2. Health Education Program

1. Physical fitness/nutrition education program conducted by health teacher, 2 days per week / 1 hr. per session
2. Students learn about:

1. The health risks and seriousness of being overweight and of untreated obesity
2. Identifying their perceived threat related to obesity, and decreasing their risks via compliance with program
3. Benefits of losing weight/maintaining a healthy weight/eating healthy foods
4. How to choose/prepare healthy foods; poor nutritional content of junk foods
5. Physical fitness activities/games to do alone or with family

2. Parent Education Program called “Being Fit & Bringing it…Home”

1. Quarterly information sessions conducted by health and PE teachers held after school in designated classroom, 1hr. per session
2. Focus will be on educating parents about:

1. Benefits of children losing weight/ maintaining a healthy weight
2. Health risks to children of being overweight/obese
3. Family improvement of eating habits-encourage parents to buy/serve healthy foods + decrease/eliminate junk foods at home
4. Family improvement of physical activity-provide suggestions/examples of family centered physical fitness activities

3. Cues to action will include weekly activity logs, monthly newsletters, and reminder phone calls/flyers for quarterly sessions

3. Healthy Active Promotion Play Year (H.A.P.P.Y.) Day

1. End of  school year, full-day celebration event for students and parents consisting of fun physical activities and outdoor picnic featuring healthy foods contributed by students, parents and program staff

4. Promoting self-efficacy of students

1. Providing daily training/guidance in performing physical fitness activities and in choosing healthy foods
2. Measuring weight and BMI weekly and having students chart their progress in weekly logs
3. Using progressive goal-setting
4. Providing positive reinforcement for progress (stickers/pencils/small toys, etc.), and verbal reinforcement daily
5. Peer role models who have successfully lost weight and maintained weight loss will give tips/advice to students

5. Eliminating and decreasing barriers to participation in program

1. Program will be offered free of cost
2. Notebooks for weekly logs will be provided free of cost
3. Stress the convenience of an in-school program
4. Provide individualized family support/guidance throughout the program

5. Intervention Evaluation

1. Compare change in BMI measurements and weight of students from beginning to end of intervention and chart/graph results
2. Pre and post knowledge tests and attitude questionnaires will be given to students and parents at the beginning and end of the intervention. Results will be compared to determine the intervention’s effect on physical fitness/ nutrition knowledge, participants’ perceptions of the overall value of the program, and students’ self-efficacy towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

6. Logic Model * See Attached