(P31-059-23) Improving Nutrition and Physical Literacy in Adolescents

Objectives: The high prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States is a serious public health concern with one in three American children categorized as overweight or obese. School-based intervention programs have been implemented to make a positive impact on young students’ lifestyle in both nutritional and physical aspects. However, many programs do not include feedback from the teachers, students or parents involved, limiting efficacy and sustainability. Therefore, the objectives of this project are to: (a) evaluate the effectiveness and impressions of a nutrition education and physical activity program for K-8^th graders in New Jersey schools; (b) conduct a process evaluation including fidelity of implementation of program elements such as independent execution of lessons; and (c) determine the feasibility of scheduling during school time, and ease of obtaining materials needed for implementation.

Methods: Three schools in Central and South Jersey school districts were selected based on diverse population and past research activities. We randomly recruited four teachers and 30 students from 1^st to 6^th grade from two elementary and one K-8 school based on a convenience sample of willing, participating schools. Mixed methods were used for this process evaluation including semi-structured interviews and surveys. Pre and post-test scores on nutrition and physical literacy measured via three different student participant surveys were also collected.

Results: Pilot study results from the previous year’s implementation found increased consumption of lettuce (p < .001), tomatoes (p < .01), and leafy greens (p < .001) and increased pre/post averages (2.94 ± 0.72 pre-test and 3.14 ±1 0.8 (p=0.08) post-test) on the PAQ-C (The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children) indicating that the program positively influenced student consumption of vegetables and physical activity.

Conclusions: By analyzing effectiveness with collecting feedback, we anticipate that this research will contribute to improving the quality and feasibility of nutrition education and physical activity programs that aim to address childhood obesity.

Funding Sources: Funding for this research was provided to the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative from the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation and the Grant as well as funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.