Schools

After School/ Curriculum Fitness Programs

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Health in Action
Promoting Nutrition and Physical Activity among School Children

Project Overview

In the efforts to combat the uprising epidemic of childhood obesity, B FIT Exercise & Nutrition along with The American Institutes of Research (AIR), a non-profit research organization based in Washington, DC, has established a program to apply research findings and community-based activities to promote healthy lifestyles and improve health literacy for children and families. The AIR Dissemination of Research into Practice (AIRDROP) project was established in 2003 as a part of this program.

The AIRDROP project develops culturally competent and developmentally appropriate health promotion and health education resources. These resources are designed to assist staff at school-based health centers (SBHC) establish and conduct health promotion activities to better serve children and their families. We are interested in reaching as many children and schools as possible in the greater Washington, DC area and eventually across the nation.

AIRDROP School Health Toolkit – Health in Action

Health in Action is a toolkit intended for use with elementary aged children and provides lessons and resources in the following modules:

Food, Fitness, and Fun

  • Nutrition and Physical Fitness Group Activities promote children’s knowledge of basic nutrition, fitness physiology, safety considerations, and making smart lifestyle decisions.

  • Family Resources provide individual and small group topics to discuss with families to promote positive nutrition and physical fitness outcomes.

Healthy Minds

  • Group Activities address how to respond to different emotions and situations, including stress, anger and bullying

Breathing Easy

  • Group Activities provide an overview of the respitory system, asthma triggers, and smoking prevention

Advocacy Guide:

Getting the Support You Need to Keep Kids Healthy provides resources to affecting local, state, and federal policies.

Project Activities

As part of the development process, a needs assessment was conducted to serve as a guide to the development and implementation of the toolkit with our partners – a Washington, DC-based non-profit clinic with an elementary school-based health center. After an iterative development process, AIR expanded its partners to two additional schools in Montgomery County, MD. In addition to this new partnership, AIR convened an expert panel of reviewers and constructed a plan to systematically pilot test and evaluates all of the Materials and student outcomes. Before, during, and after the implementation of the materials, Air collected data to use as part of the evaluation that guided the revision of the module.

The completed module was revised to be flexible and easy to implement. The Food, Fitness, and Fun Module now has seven lessons at each of the three grade levels (lower, middle, and upper elementary). Each lesson contains nutrition and physical fitness activities. Teaching tips, cultural diversity cues, advanced activities, parent handouts, and optional teaching tools enhance the module and allow for flexibility of implementation and provide greater impact.

Impact Data

Activity and Purpose

Student Knowledge Tests (at 3 curriculum levels)

  • 15-minute test given before and after the program to measure any changes in knowledge and attitudes regarding nutrition and physical fitness.

Parent Questionnaire

  • Mailed to the parent after the intervention has ended. Developed in both English and Spanish, the questionnaire will address changes in attention paid to nutrition, changes in eating habits, changes in physical activity, etc. that the student and/or other family members have exhibited as a result of the Food, Fitness, and Fun intervention. A stamped, self-addressed envelope will be included in the mailing.

Lesson-Evaluation Form

To be completed by the instructor after each lesson. The form will contain items that asses students participation and interest in the lesson, as well as their comprehension. The form will also include items that asses the instructor’s reactions to the lesson. The form will take approximately five minutes to complete. Additional comments will be allowed but not required.