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Assessing the Implementation Climate for School-based Obesity Prevention Policies and Practices
Methods: Utilizing a participatory research survey approach with school health professionals (n = 62) and a multiple regression design, a moderated predictive model of research-supported implementation effectiveness (i.e., attitudes and beliefs about prevention, school commitment to prevention, barriers, and stakeholder collaboration) was tested.
Results: School commitment to obesity prevention predicts implementation of healthy food policies when few barriers are in place. However, when many barriers are in place, school commitment is not associated with more healthy food policies. Without stakeholder collaboration, teachers are more likely to exclude students from physical education as punishment. Commitment to obesity prevention practices, however, is related to decreased likelihood that exclusion from physical education is used as a punishment.
Conclusions: Barriers to obesity prevention efforts, such as lack of resources, support, or strategy clarity, may impact implementation efforts despite strong school commitment. Attitudes toward prevention and stakeholder collaboration are important in predicting implementation of physical education practices.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health educationPlanning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Learning Objectives:
Explain the impact of implementation barriers on obesity prevention policies and practices in schools.
Discuss the importance of stakeholder collaboration in predicting school implementation of physical education strategies consistent with obesity prevention efforts.
Keyword(s): School-Based Health, Obesity
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been a Principal or Co-Principal Investigator on several federally and locally funded studies examining the implementation of public health prevention efforts in school and community settings. My work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed publications and presented at multiple professional meetings.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.