Maria F. Bettencourt, MPH, LDN¹, Solomon Mezgebu, PhD¹, Vanessa Cavallaro, MS, RD, LDN¹, Kathleen Grattan, MPH¹, Jean Wiecha, PhD², Karen Peterson, ScD, RD³, Philip J. Troped, PhD, MS⁴, and Daniel M. Finkelstein, EdM, MA⁴. (1) Bureau of Family and Community Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02108-4619, (617) 624-5470, maria.bettencourt@state.ma.us, (2) Health and Social Behavior, Harvard Prevention Research Center, 677 Huntington Avenue, 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02115, (3) Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, (4) Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02115

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded Massachusetts Overweight/Obesity Prevention and Control Initiative (MOPCI), implemented a two year nutrition and physical activity intervention in 13 middle schools (6 intervention/7 control) designed to prevent and control overweight in youth. . This intervention utilized the socio-ecological approach to improve students’ eating and physical activity behaviors by improving the school environment. This was accomplished through integration of a nutrition and physical activity curriculum (Planet Health) into core subjects and school-wide policy/environment assessment using the School Health Index for Physical Activity and Healthy Eating: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide (SHI). Core subject teachers in the 6 intervention schools were trained to incorporate Planet Health modules into the curriculum. Selected staff in the13 schools were trained to conduct a comprehensive self-assessment of the school nutrition and physical activity environment using the CDC developed SHI. The six intervention schools were also asked to develop and implement an action plan for addressing the school environment using Module I of the SHI. Impact of the two-year intervention will be presented and recommendations for future expansion will be made.

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate how Massachusetts schools are using the SHI to improve the nutrition and physical activity school environment
• Describe how using Planet Health can be a win-win for schools and public health professionals

Keywords: Adolescent Health, 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.