Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116242

Cristina S. Barroso, DrPH¹, Deanna M. Hoelscher, PhD, RD, LD, CNS², Steven H. Kelder, PhD, MPH³, Christine McCullum, PhD, RD, LD⁴, Jerri L. Ward, MA, RD, LD⁵, and Peter Cribb, MEd³. (1) Hispanic Health Research Center, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center School of Public Health, 80 Fort Brown, SPH Bldg, N1.202D, Brownsville Regional Campus, Brownsville, TX 78520, (2) Human Nutrition Center, University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Herman Pressler, RAS W942, Houston, TX 77030, (3) School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, 7000 Fannin, Suite 2658, Houston, TX 77030, 713-500-9636, Steven.H.Kelder@uth.tmc.edu, (4) Human Nutrition Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1200 Herman Pressler St, RAS W910, Houston, TX 77030, (5) Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, Univ. of Texas-Houston School of Public Health, 7320 North Mopac, Suite 204, Austin, TX 78731

Coordinated school health programs offer an effective means of providing consistent messages that promote both nutrition and physical activity behaviors. The Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) program was designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in elementary school children. The purpose of this study is to determine the use of the CATCH program by child nutrition (CN) personnel, physical education (PE) specialists, and classroom teachers who attended CATCH trainings in Texas during school years 2002-2003 & 2003-2004. In the spring of each school year, school personnel that attended trainings completed a mail survey that assessed factors that influenced the implementation of CATCH at their respective schools. A serial cross-sectional study design was used: response rates were 27.7-40.1% for CN personnel, 33.7-57.7% for PE specialists, and 30.4-38.3% for classroom teachers across years. Mean scores for the percentage of CATCH Eat Smart guidelines implemented in 2003 and 2004 were 75.8% and 83.1%, respectively. For the PE specialists, the mean scores for the percentage of PE lessons using CATCH PE activities were 44.8% in 2003 and 54.6% in 2004. The mean scores for the percentage of PE lessons using CATCH philosophy and objectives in 2003 and 2004 were 67.0% and 72.9%, respectively. For the classroom component, mean scores for the percentage of health lessons using the CATCH curriculum was 28.8% in 2003 and 38.7% in 2004. Results indicate that the different CATCH components are being used in varying degrees in schools in which personnel received CATCH training.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to

• Describe the Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) program in Texas.
• Describe the use of the various CATCH components in Texas elementary schools.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.