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

Abstract #71409

Philip J. Troped, PhD, MS¹, Jean L. Wiecha, PhD¹, Maria F. Bettencourt, MPH², Vivien M. Morris, MPH, MS, RD, LDN³, Karen E Peterson, ScD, RD⁴, Daniel M. Finkelstein, EdM, MA¹, Julie Robarts, MS, MPH, RD, LDN², Vanessa Cavallaro, MS, RD, LDN², and Wee Lock Ooi, DrPH⁵. (1) Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02115, 617-432-1391, ptroped@hsph.harvard.edu, (2) Bureau of Family and Community Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02108-4619, (3) Bureau of Family and Community Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02108-4619, (4) Department of Maternal and Child Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, (5) Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02108-4619

Background: Thirty percent of U.S. youth are overweight or at-risk. PHW, a CDC-funded collaboration between the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Harvard School of Public Health, and other partners, is focused on the prevention and control of overweight among children and youth. We will describe evaluation methods and preliminary findings from a school-based intervention designed to reduce the prevalence of overweight and improve associated behavioral risk factors. Methods: The study is using a group randomized design. Sixteen Massachusetts middle schools were randomly assigned to an intervention or control condition. Two intervention and one control school subsequently dropped out. Intervention schools are implementing a physical activity/nutrition curriculum (Planet Health) and the CDC's School Health Index. Sixth and seventh grade students from study schools will be followed two years for changes in body mass index (BMI), physical activity, television viewing and diet. Baseline data collection was completed in Fall 2002; follow-ups will occur in Spring 2003 and 2004. Results: Ninety-five percent of eligible students (n=1944) completed the baseline survey and were measured for height and weight. Overall, 18.1% (n=329) of students were at-risk for overweight (BMI-for-age 85th to <95th percentile; based on 2000 CDC growth charts) and 16.4% (n=298) were overweight (BMI-for-age >=95th percentile). Higher percentages of boys were at-risk (20.0%) and were overweight (17.7%), as compared to girls (16.2% and 15.1%, respectively). Conclusions: PHW methods demonstrate promise for development of middle school surveillance of height and weight. Preliminary data for the prevalence of overweight appear comparable to national estimates.

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will better understand evaluation design and methods used to assess the effectiveness of a school-based physical activity and nutrition intervention.
• Attendees will become familiar with use of surveillance data in monitoring overweight in preadolescent youth.
• Attendees will become familiar with the early results of a school-based intervention.

Keywords: Obesity, School-Based Programs

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.