Tag: School-based

Your Road to Health

Title:Your Road to Health
Status:Completed
Topic:Health Promotion & Wellness;Nutrition / Diet;Program or Product Development;School-based
Funding Source:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with supplemental funding from Griffin Hospital
Funding Period:2013-2017
Study Design:Pre/post combined with program opinion surveys.
Purpose: This study was a subset of the Valley Initiative to Advance Health & Learning in Schools (VITAHLS). The purpose was to develop, pilot test, evaluate, and revise a nutrition education program for use in middle and/or high schools. The goals were to motivate, teach, and help students develop skills to make healthful food choices and adopt an active lifestyle.
Further Study Details:This project focused on developing and offering a pilot version of the program, and evaluating its feasibility and effectiveness when taught by health teachers in 3 middle schools and 1 high school in two VITAHLS districts (Shelton and Seymour). The pilot program included a lesson plan, PowerPoint, and 2 hands-on activities.  A total of 237 students and 4 health teachers took part in the evaluation.We used the pilot study findings to guide revisions, and implement and evaluate a refined version of the program participating VITAHLS school districts. We replaced the PowerPoint with a Prezi presentation (using cloud-based software that is more interactive and engaging), and edited the content to reduce the potential for misconceptions about nutrition. The revised program also includes a lesson plan and 7 hands-on activities.  
Findings:After exposure to the pilot program, students’ mean nutrition knowledge scores (maximum possible score of 100%) increased from 52% at baseline to 78% on the post quiz (p<0.0001). Students’ responses to additional open-ended questions provided insight regarding potential misconceptions about nutrition concepts. Students’ suggestions to improve the program included: eliminating repetition of content; making the presentation more entertaining; and adding more facts, activities, and tips. Teachers’ suggestions included: shortening the PowerPoint and/or replacing it with a smart board or Prezi presentation; and adding more activities.
Eligibility: Students and teachers in participating health classes in two middle schools and one high school
Changed at:11/30/2017 8:12 AMChanged by:Lisa Seaberg
Created at:3/1/2017 4:54 AMCreated by:Lisa Seaberg

VITAHLS School Breakfast Focus Groups

Title:VITAHLS School Breakfast Focus Groups
Status:Completed
Topic:Nutrition / Diet;School-based
Funding Source:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Funding Period:2017-2018
Study Design:Qualitative research (focus groups)
Purpose:Evidence suggests that eating breakfast regularly may improve academic performance and school attendance among children. Serving breakfast in the classroom is associated with improved diet quality. Despite these benefits, less than half of Connecticut students who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, and who participate in school lunch, also take part in the school breakfast program. We conducted this study to identify the drivers of, and barriers to, school breakfast participation among students in two school districts in the Lower Naugatuck Valley of CT that are part of the Valley Initiative to Advance Health and Learning in Schools (VITAHLS).
Further Study Details:The PRC conducted 13 focus groups with elementary, middle, and high school students. Each focus group included 5 to 11 students with parental consent. We asked questions regarding breakfast consumption in general, and in the home and school settings. We also elicited suggestions to improve breakfast served at school. We used a software program to identify emerging themes from the transcripts and group them into categories based on how they related to our research questions.
Findings:Below is a brief summary of our findings relative to our research questions.Why do students choose to eat breakfast?  The major factors in deciding whether to eat it on school days were parental influence, hunger or desire to avoid physical symptoms, and inadequate time. Many elementary school students said their parents stressed the importance of breakfast, and took steps to ensure that they ate it each morning. Children in grades K-6 tended to report feeling hungry in the morning, while those in grades 7-12 more often mentioned a lack of hunger. Some students said they found it hard to pay attention if they skipped breakfast. However, many students skipped breakfast due to a lack of hunger or desire to eat early in the morning. For some, the importance of eating breakfast varied based on their plans for the day. Many middle and high school students who skipped breakfast said they felt rushed in the morning and had too little time to eat it during the school week. Some said they only ate breakfast on the weekends when they had more time.Why do students eat breakfast at home?  Most felt it was a more appealing option than eating it at school. The top reason was distaste for school food. Many said that school foods are unhealthy or “junk” or “fake.” School breakfast was commonly perceived as a waste of money because better, less expensive food was available at home. Lack of time was also a perceived barrier. Students reported feeling too rushed at school and having other priorities – including socializing with friends.Why do students eat breakfast at school?  While some mentioned eating breakfast at school when preferred foods – such as breakfast sandwiches or “brownie bars” – were served, most students said they ate breakfast at school if hungry and lacking other options due to time constraints at home.How could school breakfasts be improved?  Students expressed a desire for:more food choices, particularly a larger variety of fruits;more opportunities to customize their meals;fresh made-to-order “real” foods, rather than “fake” processed foods; andmore healthful options. 
Eligibility:Elementary, middle, and high school students in a school district in which 22% of students qualified for free or reduced-priced meals. Middle school schools in another district that offered universal free breakfast because 69% of students qualified for these meals.
Changed at:11/27/2018 9:44 AMChanged by:Lisa Seaberg
Created at:11/27/2018 9:44 AMCreated by:Lisa Seaberg

Valley Initiative to Advance Health and Learning in Schools (VITAHLS)

Title:Valley Initiative to Advance Health and Learning in Schools (VITAHLS)
Status:Completed
Topic:Nutrition / Diet;Physical Activity;School-based
Funding Source:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been the primary funding source, with supplemental funding in 2013-2014 from Griffin Hospital and the Jones Family Farm.
Funding Period:2011-2019
Study Design:N/A
Purpose:VITAHLS was founded in 2011 to promote healthy lifestyles (focusing on nutrition and physical activity) to PreK-12 students, students’ families, and school staff in the Lower Naugatuck Valley. VITAHLS has been a combined effort of the Yale-Griffin PRC, Griffin Hospital, school districts (Ansonia, Derby, Naugatuck, Seymour, and Shelton), a partner from the CT State Department of Education, and community partners (the Naugatuck Valley Health District, Ansonia Chargers Club, Massaro Community Farm, ShopRite Supermarket, Boys & Girls Club, Valley Early Child Regional Council, and Valley YMCA). The PRC played an active leadership role in VITAHLS during its first 8 years. After 2019, leadership will be transitioned to school district representatives.
Further Study Details:The PRC employed a VITAHLS coordinator from 2013-2019 to develop health promotion materials, plan meetings and events, oversee data collection, and serve as a resource for schools. Representatives of the PRC, school districts, and community partners attended monthly working group meetings. Health promotion efforts evolved and expanded over time and included: nutrition and classroom-based physical activity programs for elementary schools; a middle school nutrition program; an annual healthy cooking competition; a cookbook; school gardens; farm field trips; a nutritional scoring system in school cafeterias; a “Smarter Lunchroom” in one cafeteria; physical activity videos featuring local high school students; and weekly “Valley Health Challenge” messages. The PRC provided mini-grant funding to support staff-driven health promotion projects.
Findings:Student BMI: BMI z-scores generally did not change from the 2011-2012 to 2017-2018 school years, except in one district that had declines in both measures. The number of students, grade levels assessed, and timing of assessments varied from year to year and among districts, making comparisons between districts or over time somewhat challenging.Student fitness: Fitness test scores, reported by districts to the state of CT, improved in VITAHLS districts from 2011-2012 to 2017-2018, whereas scores for the state overall remained flat. Because these were aggregate data reported by grade, it was not possible to determine whether these differences were statistically significant.Student academic performance: There were no notable changes in performance measures in any of the districts.Program inventory survey: More than 50 nutrition and physical activity programs, activities, and policies were implemented during this project period. Partnership/staff survey: Among the 125 staff from the school districts who responded, 25% were “very familiar” with the VITAHLS initiative, 57% has some awareness of it, and 18% had never heard of it.Perceived impact of VITAHLS: Benefits included: access to information; professional development opportunities; networking; inter-district collaborations; links to community organizations; student wellness emphasis; ideas for staff wellness; mini-grant funding; other grant opportunities; leveraging the partnership to obtain funding from other sources; support in setting up school gardens; and an enhanced ability to address issues through shared efforts. Challenges included: inability of some staff to attend working group meetings without substitute coverage; lack of authority among some staff to make decisions on behalf of their schools or districts; and lack of awareness of VITAHLS among students’ families or other school staff.
Eligibility:Students in participating grades in participating schools in each district, and staff involved in any VITAHLS-related wellness programs available within their districts.
Evaluation:During the 2014-2019 funding period, VITAHLS served as the school-based “epicenter” of our Community Health Opportunities Organized with Schools at the Epicenter (CHOOSE) core research project. We evaluated the impact of the initiative on changes in students’ body mass index (BMI), fitness levels, and academic performance in repeated cross sections of students over time. We also assessed: awareness of VITAHLS among school staff; uptake of VITAHLS-related programs in schools; and the perceived impact of VITAHLS among school partners.
Changed at:3/27/2020 3:55 PMChanged by:
Created at:3/1/2017 4:38 AMCreated by:Lisa Seaberg

Physical Activity Focus Groups in Secondary Schools

Title:Physical Activity Focus Groups in Secondary Schools
Status:Completed
Topic:Physical Activity;School-based
Funding Source:N/A
Funding Period:2014-2015
Study Design:Qualitative analysis using focus groups
Purpose:The PRC provided guidance and technical assistance to school districts in California and Colorado that conducted focus groups in middle and/or high schools. The goal was to seek students’ and teachers’ ideas to incorporate physical activity into secondary schools.
Further Study Details:School personnel conducted 4 focus groups in the Bonsall Unified School District in CA, and 6 focus groups in the St. Vrain Valley School District in CO (4 with students and 2 with teachers). Focus group moderators showed examples of videos designed to lead student and/or adult viewers in brief physical activity breaks. They elicited participants’ opinions concerning these videos, and their ideas for other ways to involve students in physical activity. 
Findings:TEACHERS: Teachers said activity breaks would benefit students’ health and ability to focus. Concerns included: student and teacher buy-in; limited space; safety; classroom management; wardrobe issues; mixed reactions among students; the potential for some students to feel awkward with dancing; students with disabilities; and time taken away from learning or standardized tests. In general, they thought they could fit 10 to 20 minutes of daily physical activity into their classrooms. Ideas included student-created videos, exercise stations, contests, music, yoga, and mobile device apps.STUDENTS: Most said activity breaks could provide a relief from sitting and a way to refocus. Some felt certain students could get distracted, or misuse the time to chat, goof off, or get rowdy. Challenges cited included: limited space; immobile desks; varied fitness levels; garment issues; risk of embarrassment; and noise disruptions. Classroom break suggestions included stretching, walking, light jogging, Zumba, Wi-Fit, Just Dance, cultural dancing, and exercise stations. Many said it would be fun to lead the class in an activity. They liked the idea of a friendly competition within a group or school. Suggestions for activity beyond the classroom included after-school clubs/sports, lunchtime games, and access to courts and fields before the start of the school day. Students wanted to be able to choose activities related to their interests. They shared ideas to integrate activity into lessons in social studies, science, and math. 
Eligibility:Students in participating schools/grades in the Bonsall Unified School District in California, and in the St. Vrain Valley School District in Colorado. 
Changed at:3/2/2017 9:45 AMChanged by:Lisa Seaberg
Created at:3/2/2017 9:45 AMCreated by:Lisa Seaberg

Nutrition Detectives / ABC for Fitness: Nutrition and Physical Activity Education for Elementary School Children

Title:Nutrition Detectives / ABC for Fitness: Nutrition and Physical Activity Education for Elementary School Children
Status:Completed
Topic:Nutrition / Diet;Physical Activity;School-based
Funding Source:Independence School District, with funding from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City
Funding Period:2006-2009
Study Design:Structured, Multi-phase Initiative to Implement, Evaluate, and Disseminate School-Based Nutrition and Physical Activity Interventions
Purpose:To evaluate nutrition and physical activity programs for elementary school children, as well as promote healthy lifestyle and reverse the trend of obesity among students
Further Study Details:The PRC and the Independence School District in Missouri partnered to evaluate 2 programs. Nutrition Detectives provides “5 clues” to make healthful food choices, and ABC for Fitness offers 30 minutes of daily classroom-based physical activity. Phase 1 was a pilot study in 3 schools to identify the best intervention (Nutrition Detectives, ABC for Fitness, or both), and refine the programs and data collection. The combination of both programs was identified as the best intervention. Phase 2 evaluated both programs by comparing “pre” and “post” data (nutrition label literacy, body mass index (BMI), physical fitness, classroom behavior, and medication use) from 3 intervention and 2 control schools. In 2009-2012, we conducted a subsequent study – Advancing School & Community Engagement Now for Disease Prevention (ASCEND) –that compared a standard vs. enhanced intervention among elementary schools within this district, with another district serving as a control.
Findings:Phase 2 was completed in 2009. For Nutrition Detectives™, we found statistically significant improvements in scores on a standardized food label literacy quiz among intervention school students and their parents, compared to scores among control school students and parents. For ABC for Fitness™, we found no change in BMI over the course of the school year. However, intervention school students had statistically significant improvements in certain fitness measures (abdominal and upper body strength). Although we found no improvements in classroom behavior, we found a statistically significant reductions in the numbers of intervention school students receiving medication for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or asthma. For the subsequent study results, please refer to “Advancing School & Community Engagement Now for Disease Prevention (ASCEND).”
Eligibility:Second, third, and fourth grade students in the Independence School District in Missouri 
Changed at:3/2/2017 7:14 AMChanged by:Lisa Seaberg
Created at:8/31/2010 11:23 AMCreated by:Griffin Hospital

Music Video Health Education Project

Title:Music Video Health Education Project
Status:Completed
Topic:Health Promotion & Wellness;School-based
Funding Source:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Funding Period:2014
Study Design:Qualitative evaluation using focus groups
Purpose:To help guide the creation of a video library/curriculum to encourage ‘tweens & teens to adopt healthy lifestyles, we conducted 10 focus groups with middle and high school students to obtain their reactions to 6 health promotion videos.
Further Study Details:Three of the videos were 3-4 minutes in length and used rap music, other music, and/or dance to convey messages about making healthful food choices; the other 3 videos were 30-second public service announcements that used metaphors (e.g. bullying, loss of teeth) to convey anti-smoking messages. The focus groups were held at schools and Boys & Girls Clubs in Ansonia and Shelton CT. We asked questions to learn students’ opinions of the videos, their perceptions of the videos’ age-appropriateness, their preferences for video length and style, and their recommendations for producing our own videos. 
Findings:Overall, students seemed to prefer videos that are short in length (length of a commercial or PSA), and that get their point across without continually repeating the message.  Students varied in response to the use of music and dance, with some enjoying it and some finding it distracting from the main message.  In most cases, messages delivered this way seemed to be less inspiring of actual change than those that focused on facts and on potentially harmful outcomes of making choices that could negatively impact health.  Some students liked upbeat music and messages if combined with guidelines on what to do. Compared to 8thgrade and high school students, students in 6th and 7th grade seemed to have a difficult time understanding metaphorical messages and to prefer more literal messages. Their advice focused on making videos “short and to the point” and relatable to their age group. 
Eligibility:Middle school and high school students in participating schools and Boys & Girls Club sites
Changed at:3/2/2017 9:29 AMChanged by:Lisa Seaberg
Created at:3/2/2017 9:29 AMCreated by:Lisa Seaberg

Health Promotion in the New Haven Public Schools (2007-2009)

Title:Health Promotion in the New Haven Public Schools (2007-2009)
Status:Completed
Topic:Physical Activity;School-based
Funding Source:Community Foundation for Greater New Haven; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Funding Period:2007-2009
Study Design:Pre/post feasibility study
Purpose:To evaluate nutrition and physical activity programs for elementary school children, as well as promote healthy lifestyle and reverse the trend of obesity among students and their families.
Further Study Details:The PRC collaborated with the New Haven Public Schools’ District Wellness Committee on a feasibility study to implement the Nutrition Detectives™ and ABC for Fitness™ programs in selected elementary schools. Nutrition Detectives is a 90-minute program that teaches 5 clues to make healthful food choices based on food labels and ingredient lists. ABC for Fitness guides classroom teachers to offer brief bursts of physical activity spread over the school day, ideally adding up to 30 minutes of daily activity. Year 1 (2007-08 school year) focused on an implementation and evaluation of Nutrition Detectives in fifth grade classes in 4 intervention and 4 control schools. Year 2 (2008-09 school year) included expansion of Nutrition Detectives to fifth grade classes in 5 additional schools, along with implementation and evaluation of ABC for Fitness in fourth grade classes in these schools. Relevant student outcomes incorporated into the evaluation plan included nutrition label literacy and standardized scores for 4 measures of physical fitness.
Findings:Fifth grade students who took part in Nutrition Detectives improved their ability to make healthful food choices, as measured by a 15% increase in scores on a standardized quiz. Fourth grade students in schools trained to offer ABC for Fitness showed statistically significant gains in two measures of fitness (curl-ups and right angle pushups) between the beginning and end of the 2008-09 school year. However, since teachers were not mandated to offer ABC for Fitness and no control schools were available to compare pre/post fitness scores, it is unclear whether the improved fitness scores were a t result of the ABC for Fitness program. This study has helped to lay the foundation for expanded obesity prevention efforts in the New Haven Public Schools.
Eligibility:Fourth and fifth grade students in selected schools in the New Haven Public Schools.
Changed at:3/1/2017 9:43 AMChanged by:Lisa Seaberg
Created at:8/31/2010 11:59 AMCreated by:Griffin Hospital

Health Promotion in the New Haven Public Schools (2007-2009)

Title:Health Promotion in the New Haven Public Schools (2007-2009)
Status:Completed
Topic:Nutrition / Diet;School-based
Funding Source:Community Foundation for Greater New Haven; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Funding Period:2007-2009
Study Design:Pre/post feasibility study
Purpose:To evaluate nutrition and physical activity programs for elementary school children, as well as promote healthy lifestyle and reverse the trend of obesity among students and their families.
Further Study Details:The PRC collaborated with the New Haven Public Schools’ District Wellness Committee on a feasibility study to implement the Nutrition Detectives™ and ABC for Fitness™ programs in selected elementary schools. Nutrition Detectives is a 90-minute program that teaches 5 clues to make healthful food choices based on food labels and ingredient lists. ABC for Fitness guides classroom teachers to offer brief bursts of physical activity spread over the school day, ideally adding up to 30 minutes of daily activity. Year 1 (2007-08 school year) focused on an implementation and evaluation of Nutrition Detectives in fifth grade classes in 4 intervention and 4 control schools. Year 2 (2008-09 school year) included expansion of Nutrition Detectives to fifth grade classes in 5 additional schools, along with implementation and evaluation of ABC for Fitness in fourth grade classes in these schools. Relevant student outcomes incorporated into the evaluation plan included nutrition label literacy and standardized scores for 4 measures of physical fitness.
Findings:Fifth grade students who took part in Nutrition Detectives improved their ability to make healthful food choices, as measured by a 15% increase in scores on a standardized quiz. Fourth grade students in schools trained to offer ABC for Fitness showed statistically significant gains in two measures of fitness (curl-ups and right angle pushups) between the beginning and end of the 2008-09 school year. However, since teachers were not mandated to offer ABC for Fitness and no control schools were available to compare pre/post fitness scores, it is unclear whether the improved fitness scores were a t result of the ABC for Fitness program. This study has helped to lay the foundation for expanded obesity prevention efforts in the New Haven Public Schools.
Eligibility:Fourth and fifth grade students in selected schools in the New Haven Public Schools.
Changed at:3/1/2017 9:43 AMChanged by:Lisa Seaberg
Created at:8/31/2010 11:28 AMCreated by:Griffin Hospital

Evaluating the Impact of Conflict Resolution on Urban Children’s Violence-Related Attitudes and Behaviors in New Haven, Connecticut, through a Community Academic Partnership

Title:Evaluating the Impact of Conflict Resolution on Urban Children’s Violence-Related Attitudes and Behaviors in New Haven, Connecticut, through a Community Academic Partnership
Status:Completed
Topic:School-based;Violence Prevention
Funding Source:Community Mediation/CARE and the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Funding Period:2007-2008
Study Design:Quasi-Experimental Design (before & after study)
Purpose:To examine the impact of a violence prevention program utilizing peer mediation training on economically disadvantaged urban youth from the New Haven Public Schools as well as their perceptions of self-efficacy, feelings of hopelessness and hostility, and perceptions of violence via validated questionnaires. The primary intent was to empower participating youth, leading to increased self-esteem and a reduction of anti-social behaviors.
Further Study Details:A community-academic partnership between Community Mediation Inc., New Haven Public Schools, Yale School of Public Health, and Yale-Griffin PRC was formed to evaluate a school-based violence prevention program taught in the New Haven Public Schools. During the 2007–08 school year, 191 fourth and fifth grade students in 3 schools took part in 5 workshops led during the school day by experienced mediators. Of the 191 students, 165 (84%) completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. The team used validated questionnaires to examine the intervention’s impact on the likelihood of violence, conflict self-efficacy, hopelessness, and hostility (potential causes of violent behavior) among participants.
Findings:The intervention had little positive impact on participants’ violence-related attitudes and behavior. On the other hand, the students’ schools independently predicted hostility and conflict self-efficacy scores; this is consistent with other research showing that a school’s organizational structure, climate, size and cohesion have a major effect on violence-related behaviors In addition, a perception that the neighborhood police could be trusted correlated with a lower likelihood of violence; and the presence of parents when children arrive home from school tended to correlate with a reduced sense of hopelessness. This sample of students from 3 schools is not necessarily representative of all elementary schools in the district. The impact of the intervention might be improved by increasing its duration, adding more components, and specifically targeting high-risk students.
Eligibility:Fourth and fifth grade students enrolled in 3 selected schools in the New Haven Public Schools
Changed at:3/1/2017 9:41 AMChanged by:Lisa Seaberg
Created at:8/31/2010 12:10 PMCreated by:Griffin Hospital

Enhancing School and Community Engagement in Physical Activity and Nutrition

Title:Enhancing School and Community Engagement in Physical Activity and Nutrition
Status:Completed
Topic:Nutrition / Diet;Physical Activity;School-based;Training Services
Funding Source:Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, LLC, an affiliate of the WellPoint Foundation (funding provided to Quinnipiac University)
Funding Period:2010-2011
Study Design:Pre/post study
Purpose:To implement and evaluate two health programs in school districts in Hamden and Wallingford, CT.
Further Study Details:During the 2010-2011 school year, the PRC served as advisor to Quinnipiac University on a project to benefit the health of students in the Hamden and Wallingford school districts. The PRC provided training on the Nutrition Detectives and ABC for Fitness programs to faculty and students in the Quinnipiac University School of Health Sciences, who then partnered with teachers in Hamden and Wallingford to offer the programs to third and fourth grade students in selected schools. The PRC also provided technical assistance in using qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the effectiveness of the programs.  
Findings:Quinnipiac faculty/students and school staff collected pre/post data from 110 children in 2 intervention schools and 129 children in 2 control schools. Students who took part in the Nutrition Detectives program in intervention schools increased their food label literacy scores by 25% compared to their baseline scores. Due to circumstances beyond the control of the research team, inconsistencies in the timing and selection of physical fitness data collected by schools led to inclusive results in the assessment of ABC for Fitness. 
Eligibility:Third grade students in selected elementary schools in the Hamden and Wallingford school districts in Connecticut.
Changed at:3/2/2017 7:00 AMChanged by:Lisa Seaberg
Created at:8/31/2010 11:14 AMCreated by:Griffin Hospital