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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sally Black, RN, PhD and Cayley Warner, RD. Health Services, Saint Joseph's University, 5600 City Avenue, Post Hall 116, Philadelphia, PA 19131, 1-610-660-1352, cwarner@mailhost.sju.edu

In the United States, childhood obesity is becoming the greatest challenge of this century. The Saint Joseph's University anti-obesity project combined the strengths of experts in education, sociology, public health, science and food marketing for a transdisciplinary approach to obesity. A modified version of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model was used to guide the project. The Saint Joseph's University Anti-obesity project included investigating obesity epidemiology through GIS mapping, needs assessment of children's behaviors and attitudes that interfered with healthy eating and physical activity, development and pilot of a critical media awareness curriculum, development and pilot of a science based nutrition curriculum, investigation of food marketing policies and practices, and increasing opportunities for safe physical activity in an urban environment through a community build playground. Researchers collaborated within their professional community and in the local community to increase our understanding of the obesity problem and suggest ways to prevent obesity on the individual, community and policy levels. This presentation will give an overview of the application of the PRECEDE model and one portion of the larger project, the community build playground. The community build playground was a joint project to increase physical activity for children in an area of West Philadelphia where there were no playgrounds. Area residents, school district personnel, university staff, students, and local politicians came together to plan and build a playground for children in grades 1-6. Data on BMI, fitnessgram testing, and step count will be used to evaluate impact of the playground on physical activity levels.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the audience will be able to

• Apply the PRECEDE-PROCEED model to obesity prevention;
• Describe how a theoretical model can be used to guide best practices; and
• View the obesity epidemic from a transdisciplinary perspective.

Keywords: Obesity, Community Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.ppt format, 461.5 kb)