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

Abstract #57541

Jo Ann P. Johnson, MPH, Child and Youth Nutrition Education, University of California Cooperative Extension, Alameda County, 1131 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 113, Alameda, CA 94502, 510-639-1361, jpjohnson@ucdavis.edu, Patricia Wakimoto, RD, DrPH, Community Outreach and Education Program, NIEHS Center for Environmental Health Sciences, 5700 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland, CA 94609, and Lucrecia Farfan-Ramirez, MPH, Cooperative Extension- Alameda County, University of California, 1131 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 131, Alameda, CA 94502.

Nutrition and physical activity education are at the forefront of today's public health call to action in addressing a public health issue that is among the most burdensome faced by the Nation. We are reminded daily of the health risks for our youth of overweight and obesity. Technology based instruction provides new ways of teaching complex concepts and increasing critical thinking skills that is colloborative and engaging. Studies show that computer technology can promote prevention by engaging youth in inquiry-based learning. Government agencies, non-profit oraganizations and educational institutions are rapidly developing on-line health promotion games and activities to target youth populations, such as CDC's Powerful Carla and Verb!, creating a wealth of science based resources to build youths' capacity to make informed healthy eating and physical activity choices. Juxtaposed, in our under-served communities, is an increasing digital divide and under-resourced out-of-school programs creating a growing need to develop technology based programs to enhance out-of-school learning activities while increasing youths' capacity from these communities to access technology with tangible results. University of California Cooperative Extension, Alameda County developed and piloted an on-line after-school nutrition and physical activity education program for youth ages 8 - 13, synthesizing validated health promotion game web sites with hands-on science activities into a structured curriculum. Process and outcome based evaluation tools are effectively integrated into the program design. This presentation will focus on Nutri-Link's inquiry-based learning theoretical framework, design and implementation in out-of-school programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the advantages of integrating an internet based nutrition and physical activity education program into after-school community based programs. 2.Identify age appropriate on-line nutrition and physical activity game and activity resources for youth ages 8 - 13. 3.Identify learning outcomes for 6 non-sequenced thematic on-line nutrition and physical activity lessons integrated with hands-on science activities. 4.Describe the theoretical basis and non-formal educational model used to develop a web based after-school nutrition and physical activity education intervention.

Keywords: Nutrition, Outreach Programs

Related Web page: groups.ucanr.org/Nutri-Link/

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.