Measuring Policy, Systems, and Environmental Changes at Elementary Schools Involved in SNAP-Ed New Mexico Programming, 2018–2022

Details

• Journal Article:
  Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD)
• Personal Author:
  Velarde, Camille ; Landrau-Cribbs, Erica ; Soleimani, Mahtab ; Cruz, Theresa H.
• Description:
  Introduction ; In 2018, the New Mexico Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program–Education (SNAP-Ed NM) incorporated policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies into the state plan to increase healthy eating and physical activity. Studies of multiple PSE strategies in elementary schools are lacking. ; Methods ; We conducted assessments of physical activity and nutrition environments at 11 elementary schools in New Mexico before and after schools were given school-specific PSE recommendations and technical assistance. Baseline data were collected in 2018 by using the School Physical Activity and Nutrition Environment Tool (SPAN-ET), which measures policy, situational, and physical environments in elementary schools. PSE scores were calculated as the proportion of criteria met within and across 27 areas of interest. Implementation of evidence-based PSE interventions began in 2019. COVID-19 school closures delayed follow-up assessments until 2022. We analyzed descriptive data to examine changes in PSE scores over time. ; Results ; Overall mean PSE scores increased significantly from baseline (53.6%) to follow-up (62.7%). Nutrition PSE scores significantly increased by 17.6 percentage points; the policy environment showed the largest improvement (+26.0 percentage points), followed by the situational environment (+13.8 percentage points), and physical environment (+9.1 percentage points). We found a nonsignificant increase in the overall average physical activity score (+2.7 percentage points). ; Conclusion ; Use of a standardized instrument for assessing implementation of PSE strategies across multiple schools showed significant overall improvement in nutrition scores and nonsignificant increases in physical activity scores. Providing school-specific recommendations combined with technical assistance may be an effective approach to implementing evidence-based nutrition and physical activity PSE strategies.
• Subjects:
  • Humans
  • Health Promotion
  • Schools
  • Nutrition Policy
  • Exercise
• Source:
  Prev Chronic Dis. 2024; 21
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd21.230221
• ISSN:
  1545-1151
• Pubmed ID:
  38237171
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC10805274
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New Mexico
• Volume:
  21
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/150967/cdc_150967_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 526.83 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Preventing Chronic Disease
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b53c6c4846b62b356bb14792fe02ce3180044f4e11db0ccafa1581347d8e4a15fa5ec6bdd56a73930f60075882874d7ece45d8a2808b39009af92a50adc47186