The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #66218

Alison El Ayadi, MPH¹, Elizabeth Walker, MS¹, Christanne Smith-Harrison, MPH, RD², Claudia Raya, RD², Kathleen Millett, LN², Linda Bouley, RD, LDN², William Potts-Datema, MS¹, Sandra Sierra¹, and Angela Cradock, ScD¹. (1) Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Prevention Research Center, 677 Huntington Ave., 7th Fl., Boston, MA 02115, 617-432-1981, aelayadi@hsph.harvard.edu, (2) Nutrition Programs and Food Services, Massachusetts Department of Education, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148

Introduction: Schools are logical sites for interventions focused on reducing obesity among youth. Fundraisers, vending machines, a la carte items, and school stores can expose students to a variety of foods of minimal nutritious value. The USDA Changing the Scene (CTS) toolkit educates school personnel and community stakeholders about making changes within the school nutrition environment. However, best implementation practices have not been identified. The Massachusetts Department of Education (MADOE) distributes kits to schools with introductory and follow-up trainings to assist school nutrition leaders in implementing improvements in the school nutrition environment. Methods: This evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the CTS toolkit and MADOE training model using questionnaire and direct observation. We will survey those schools that completed the CTS and MADOE follow-up trainings in 2002 to identify barriers to implementation and strategies for success. The sixty schools that volunteer to participate in the 2003 CTS program will be randomized into three groups. One will receive the CTS toolkit with introductory training. One will receive the toolkit, introductory training and MDOE follow-up training. Our control group will receive a delayed CTS toolkit and MDOE training. Evaluations will include 1) pre-and post- surveys tracking the planning, organization, adoption and implementation and 2) pre- and post- onsite observation of food service environment, vending machine and a la carte items. Hypothesis: Teams receiving MADOE follow-up trainings in addition to the CTS toolkit will have increased planning, organization, adoption and implementation of CTS compared with controls and schools receiving CTS toolkit alone.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Examine a CTS training and toolkit
• 2.Collaborate with state partners implementing CTS in their state
• 3.Develop an evaluation plan that will be address the specific training model within their state.

Keywords: School Health, Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.