141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

281314
Measuring the school nutrition and physical activity (SNPA) environment - a case for assessing school resources and readiness for changing the context to address child obesity

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Deborah H. John, PhD , School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Extension Family and Community Health, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Katherine Gunter, PhD , School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Jennifer Jackson, MS, RD , College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Elementary schools are key sites for delivering nutrition and physical activity education and promoting healthy behaviors. Most school-based programs model outcomes at the level of the individual and evaluate impacts at the level of changes in students' abilities and behaviors. A public health approach to promoting healthy habits focuses efforts on changing the context of the behavioral environmental to make healthy options the default choice. Purpose: The School Nutrition and Physical Activity (SNPA) tool was developed to fill a gap in our understanding of the interplay between characteristics of students and schools, and that effect on students' nutrition and physical activity choices as well as health (whole school BMI). Methodology: A descriptive case study approach at the school level was employed to pilot (n=3) and implement (n=6) the SNPA. The SNPA demonstrated strong inter-rater reliability when used by trained evaluators, sensitivity when assessing school resources and readiness to address the conditions, and efficacy for identifying environmental and policy characteristics needing improvement. Findings: Among 6 rural elementary schools, objectively measured overweight (36% vs.18%) and obesity (19% vs.15%) rates (grades K-5) were higher than Oregon (children age 2 < 5 years), respectively. SNPA assessments revealed that generally rural schools are poised to address the issue but planned efforts are not focused or evidence-based. Conclusions/Recommendations: SNPA assessments and reports can be leveraged to secure grant funding for school partners to improve SNPA environments, document school-level changes resulting from national, state, and/or district level policies, and evaluate school SNPA performance factors and practices.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Chronic disease management and prevention
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Describe the school nutrition and physical activity (SNPA) model and tool. Advocate for assessing school environmental resources and readiness and evidence-based strategies to improve the school context for promoting healthy nutrition and physical activity habits.

Keywords: Child Health Promotion, School Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am/have been the principal or co-principal of federally funded grants focusing on the interplay between people's health and place, specifically obesity-related behaviors (nutrition/physical activity) and environmental conditions/behavioral context. Among my scientific interests has been the development of community-engaged strategies for assessing and changing environments, policies, and practices.
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.

Back to: 4376.0: Obesity Prevention Programs