Oral

The school environment is a major focus of interventions to transform local physical activity and healthy eating opportunities for children. School wellness policies provide school districts the opportunity to make changes benefiting children's health and learning. Programs that will be described in this session include the Pure & Simple Lifestyle program teaches adolescents, their parents, and other interested community members the value of an abstinence-until-marriage approach to sexual activity and abstinence from other harmful behaviors including: use of illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco, pornography, and violence; assessments of school-level and neighborhood factors on meeting body composition fitness standard; initiatives to identify facilities that can be shared by schools and communities to promote physical activity; and developing community coalition to address the health and well-being of children.

Session Objectives: Discuss strategies for how local health departments can support school districts in their implementation of school wellness policies. Understand how school and neighborhood factors influence childhood obesity and fitness. Identify factors associated that may influence schools’ reluctance to participate in joint use agreements to share school physical activity facilities with the community.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)