Environmental Health News
School Obesity Prevention Efforts Evaluated by HRiA
March 29, 2010
Though 2000 miles apart, Williamsburg, Virginia and El Paso, Texas are examples of communities leading the way in implementing innovative obesity prevention strategies in the home, schools, and communities. HRiA is evaluating the effectiveness of these multi-faceted efforts to support healthier eating and increased physical activity.
The Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools has developed a comprehensive, multi-year intervention to promote healthy eating and physical activity among students, staff, and families. Launched in 2006, the School Health Initiative Program (SHIP) represents a coordinated school health model with multiple, interdependent components, such as health education, physical education, health and nutrition services, counseling and social services, healthy school environment, and health promotion. SHIP’s program components focus on having the greatest possible health impact on school and community members, while maximizing available resources. The program is made possible through a grant from the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation.
Working with the Foundation and public school system, HRiA is undertaking an impact evaluation of SHIP. HRiA has already conducted surveys of approximately 5,000 students, 1,800 parents, and 800 school personnel to gauge changes in their physical activity and nutrition-related attitudes and behaviors. HRiA has also engaged parents, students, teachers, and administrators in focus groups and interviews to garner their perspectives on program successes and challenges.
In 2009, the El Paso Independent School District received an award from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation for the Get HIP Now program, a comprehensive intervention that focuses on improving children’s health literacy and fitness levels. The program includes a health curriculum and opportunities for children to get involved in physical activity before, during, and after school through structured activity zones. HRiA will evaluate the effectiveness of Get HIP Now and its impact on individual knowledge, attitudes, and behavior around physical activity and healthy eating. The two-pronged evaluation includes exploring whether students, teachers, and staff have significantly changed their health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors after taking part in Get HIP Now. HRiA recently conducted baseline surveys with over 7,000 students in the El Paso school district and two control school districts and baseline surveys with 700 faculty and staff. HRiA has also conducted interviews and focus groups with administrators, teachers, students and parents. Through this study, HRiA will identify the intervention’s successes and challenges as well as ways to improve program effectiveness.
The program evaluation results in both communities will be used to improve, strengthen, and support the replication of effective strategies in other communities.
The Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools has developed a comprehensive, multi-year intervention to promote healthy eating and physical activity among students, staff, and families. Launched in 2006, the School Health Initiative Program (SHIP) represents a coordinated school health model with multiple, interdependent components, such as health education, physical education, health and nutrition services, counseling and social services, healthy school environment, and health promotion. SHIP’s program components focus on having the greatest possible health impact on school and community members, while maximizing available resources. The program is made possible through a grant from the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation.
Working with the Foundation and public school system, HRiA is undertaking an impact evaluation of SHIP. HRiA has already conducted surveys of approximately 5,000 students, 1,800 parents, and 800 school personnel to gauge changes in their physical activity and nutrition-related attitudes and behaviors. HRiA has also engaged parents, students, teachers, and administrators in focus groups and interviews to garner their perspectives on program successes and challenges.
In 2009, the El Paso Independent School District received an award from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation for the Get HIP Now program, a comprehensive intervention that focuses on improving children’s health literacy and fitness levels. The program includes a health curriculum and opportunities for children to get involved in physical activity before, during, and after school through structured activity zones. HRiA will evaluate the effectiveness of Get HIP Now and its impact on individual knowledge, attitudes, and behavior around physical activity and healthy eating. The two-pronged evaluation includes exploring whether students, teachers, and staff have significantly changed their health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors after taking part in Get HIP Now. HRiA recently conducted baseline surveys with over 7,000 students in the El Paso school district and two control school districts and baseline surveys with 700 faculty and staff. HRiA has also conducted interviews and focus groups with administrators, teachers, students and parents. Through this study, HRiA will identify the intervention’s successes and challenges as well as ways to improve program effectiveness.
The program evaluation results in both communities will be used to improve, strengthen, and support the replication of effective strategies in other communities.
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Stacey Chacker
