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Abstract #160955

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Virginia Chomitz, PhD¹, Robert McGowan, EdD², Susan Breen, MS, RN³, Katy A. Shea, MPH, CHES¹, Josefine Wendel, MS, RD, LDN³, Dawn B. Olcott, MS³, Stacey E. King, MS⁴, Maryann Cappello², and Karen Hacker, MD⁵. (1) The Institute for Community Health, 163 Gore St, Cambridge, MA 02141, 617-499-6672, vchomitz@challiance.org, (2) Physical Education Department, Cambridge Public School District, 459 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138, (3) School Health Program, Cambridge Public Health Department, 163 Gore St, Cambridge, MA 02141, (4) Cambridge Public Health Department, Healthy Living Cambridge, 119 Windsor Street, Ground level, Cambridge, MA 02139, (5) Cambridge Public health Department, Interim Director, 119 Windsor St., Cambridge, MA 02139

Objective: describe a multi-year, multi-disciplinary healthy weight intervention and concurrent weight and fitness outcomes. Population: 3864 K-8th grade students in Public Schools in Cambridge, MA; 59.1% are non-white; 33.3% qualify for National School Lunch program Methods: Physical Education (PE) teachers and school nurses collect height, weight, BMI–for-age percentiles, and five fitness tests annually since 2000. One half percent annual increases of overweight and at-risk of overweight from 2000 (37.0%) to 2004 (39.1%), triggered a multidisciplinary team of researchers, educators, health care and public health professionals to mobilize healthy weight interventions. Programs and policies targeted individual, family, school and community – and included health and fitness “report” cards, PE enhancements, food service reforms, farm-to-school programs, family outreach, and community awareness campaigns. Results: Between 2004-2006, the proportion of students at-risk of and overweight decreased from 39.1% to 35.5% (CDC BMI-for-age categories), the proportion of students passing all fitness tests increased from 25.5% to 32.3%. Underweight stayed at 1.6%. While Black and Hispanic students were about twice as likely to be overweight in 2006 (24% and 25.6% respectively) as white (16.9%) and Asian (9.3%) students, overweight among all race/ethnicity groups, except Asian, declined since 2004. Likewise, overweight among students of lower income (eligible for free and reduced price school meals) also declined. Discussion: Cambridge Public School healthy weight promotion programs have benefited from collaboration, resources, and evaluation. Concurrent with increased programming, overweight has declined and fitness increased. However, sustainability of program elements will be a challenge in this diverse, urban community.

Learning Objectives:

• List four critical elements of a school-based healthy weight promotion effort
• Identify policies and programs that are sustainable in a diverse, urban community
• Articulate the process for mobilizing community activation in Cambridge, MA

Keywords: Obesity, School-Based Programs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

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.

• Slides (pdf) or Handout
• Multimedia recording