New Action for Healthy Kids Report Shows That Kids Can be a Catalyst for Change in the Fight against Obesity
A new Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) Field Report shows that involving students in the fight against obesity can be very effective. The report portrays an initiative launched by the Massachusetts AFHK called “Students Taking Charge”, in which six pilot high schools were awarded grants of $1,000 in fall of 2004. The grants were used to aid students in helping to develop, evaluate, and work on a “toolkit” about nutrition and physical activity in the school environment, and subsequently to help students assess their own school environments, plan for improvement, advocate for change, and implement a sustainable, policy-based action plan.
The toolkit utilized in the project was developed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) School Health Index. And the adult leaders involved in the project made it clear to students that they were the ones in charge of conducting assessments as well as developing a resulting action plan.
According to the report, the project was very successful. It involved 45 students which worked directly on it and more than 6,000 students from urban, suburban and rural schools were directly impacted. One of the schools involved in the project was East Boston High School, an urban school in which 49% of the student population is Hispanic, 24% Caucasian, 24% African-American, and 3% other. The school surveyed approximately 350 students from grades 9-12. The survey revealed that the high school’s students are satisfied with their nutrition options, but that their physical activity and access to health information is disappointingly low. While completing the toolkit’s modules, the students found that due to budget and staffing limitations, only half the student body takes health or physical education each year and that there is no system in place to effectively communicate to students’ nutritional and physical activity needs.
Given the data that was gathered, those involved in the project decided to focus on improving the communication and dissemination of information related to nutrition and physical health at the high school. They are now developing affordable, sustainable policies that the school can adopt to improve access to information regarding their nutrition and physical health. Other steps being taken include implementing a student council run section of the school website and revising the health curriculum to include speakers addressing nutrition and physical activity topics.
Additional advocacy and pilot project recommendations derived from other schools involved in the initiative include: purchase salad bars for cafeterias and create greater opportunities for physical activity through extra-curricular activities. Student leaders at all pilot schools also had the opportunity to testify before Massachusetts state legislature, presenting their own ideas and solutions for their schools to the public health community.
The report includes information on ways to teach students how to advocate including: gather credible information, make a case for change, and suggest and implement policy changes. Also, it advises to always follow through and recommend changes that are realistic. In addition, the report presents 10 tips for getting students involved in school wellness initiatives such as give students ownership of specific tasks, personally ask students, and seek support and/or approval from parents, advisers, principals and superintendents.
For additional information, please contact:
Action for Healthy Kids
4711 West Golf Road
Suite 625
Skokie, IL 60076
Phone: 1-800-416-5136
Email:stateteams@actionforhealthykids.org
Source: “Giving Kids the Voice of Authority: Engaging Students in the Fight Against Childhood Obesity,” Action for Healthy Kids Field Report, Vol. 1, No. 2.