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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Richard Crespo, PhD¹, Sally Hurst, BS¹, and Molly Shrewsberry, MPH, MS, CHES². (1) Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1600 Medical Center Drive, Suite 1400, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-691-1193, crespo@marshall.edu, (2) Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 17594 Juday Lake Drive South, South Bend, IN 46635

Background: In West Virginia nearly half of 5th grade students and one-third of kindergarten children screened were greater than the 85th percentile for body mass index. This project was developed in response to the need for policy and environmental changes that reduce childhood obesity rates.

Objectives: The objectives of this presentation are 1) to report the findings from a participatory analysis of gaps in a school's resources and policies in promoting healthy eating and physical activity 2) to describe the policies and procedure that were implemented to address the gaps 3) to assess the effectiveness of these policies and procedures in relation to established criteria. An assumption of this pilot study is that the participatory process will increase acceptance to policy change.

Methods: An elementary school was selected to be the pilot site for implementing change. A policy development team comprised of administrators, teachers, city council members, and parents was formed. The research team used participatory group process techniques to analyze the existing policies regarding healthy eating and physical activity, identify gaps, and recommend changes. After six months the school team assessed the intermediate effectiveness of the new policies based on the following criteria. The policies and procedures: cannot take away from academic time, must fit within the existing school budget, must promote changed behavior in children, and must not require change in personnel.

Results: The presenters will describe the new policies and procedures and the analysis of the degree to which they worked according to the criteria of effectiveness.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Participants will articulate the procedure for a participatory analysis of school policies regarding healthy eating and physical activity.
• 2.Participants will identify policies that work based one their fit within the existing school structure.

Keywords: Obesity, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation