183060 Title: Changing Children's Lives: Overcoming Systemic Barriers in Education Administration to Address Childhood Obesity in an Urban Community

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 11:30 AM

Judith Anderson, BA , State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Rev. Jimmy Rowe , Health Association of Niagara County, Niagara Falls, NY
Patricia A. Pastore, FNP , Dept. of Family Medicine, State University of New York At Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Renee Cadzow, MA , Dept. of Family Medicine, State University of New York At Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Reva Fish, PhD , Dept. of Family Medicine, State University of New York At Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Andrew Swanson, MA , Dept. of Family Medicine, State University of New York At Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
The prevalence of childhood obesity has dramatically increased in the United States with related adverse health consequences beginning in childhood and persisting into adulthood. The Health Association of Niagara County approached researchers at the University at Buffalo with a desire to attack the high rates of childhood obesity in an urban, lower socioeconomic school district. Despite developing a wellness policy, the school district lacked expertise to develop a functional design that would address and sustain long-term goals.

Originally district middle school students were targeted for intervention. Barriers encountered within the system (staff roles, staff training, curriculum, teacher union concerns, and medical privacy issues) resulted in a pilot sample of 100 middle school students attending an afterschool program. Pre and post data were collected. Body Mass Index percentiles (gender-age specific), aerobic capacity (PACER test), and program satisfaction were primary outcome measures. Results were shared with families through a Fitness Report Card.

Parents and school staff reported high levels of satisfaction and willingness to support children's lifestyle changes. PACER scores the following year revealed significant improvement in aerobic capacity of the students who had participated in year one.

Community partnership resulted in a change in school policy to include routine height, weight, BMI, PACER testing, and implementation of a Fitness Report Card. Relationships and mutual respect were established throughout the school district, extending participation to all 8400 district students in the 2007-2008 school year. Respect for organizational constraints, social-economic challenges, and cultural diversity was paramount to success and sustainability of this project.

Learning Objectives:
Recognize organizational, socio-economic and ethnic cultures and shift them from barriers to assets. Develop a plan to move from involvement to engagement. Modify and apply proven methods to new concepts. Construct policy change based on evaluation results.

Keywords: Obesity, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract Author on the content I am responsible for because: I co-developed the concept framework for the "Changing Children's Lives" Project. Additionally, I served as the overall Project Director responsible for all phases of the overall project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.