Growing up healthy in East Harlem: A pilot curriculum on interactive nutrition education

The recent health literature provides ample evidence that, in comparison to the national statistics, children living in East Harlem are at an elevated risk for developing obesity and the negative sequelae that invariably accompany it. This project evaluates the impact of a short-term educational intervention as a possible avenue to address obesity prevention among youth in the East Harlem community. A group of middle school students at The Isaac Newton Middle School in East Harlem participated in a six session educational module covering healthy eating habits, fitness, and nutrition literacy. The curriculum is designed to be age-appropriate and culturally sensitive, as well as interactive and engaging. At the beginning of the module, a pre-test was used to assess the students' knowledge, attitude and behavior (KAB) with regards to obesity prevention. The curriculum development was shaped to respond to the weak points in the students' KAB. Throughout the execution of the modules, the students have the opportunity to learn skills to help them lead healthy lifestyles and succeed against the challenges that can lead to obesity. Post-test data was collected and analyzed and revealed a positive impact of the curriculum in instilling a change in the KAB of these students in arming them against obesity. Although the students' knowledge improved, the challenges of affecting their attitude and behavior when it comes to healthy eating will impact the future implementation of this curriculum.