Using School Staff Members to Implement a Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention in Low-Income School Districts: the Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (MA-CORD Project), 2012–2014

Details

• Journal Article:
  Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD)
• Personal Author:
  Blaine, Rachel E. ; Franckle, Rebecca L. ; Ganter, Claudia ; Falbe, Jennifer ; Giles, Catherine ; Criss, Shaniece ; Kwass, Jo-Ann ; Land, Thomas ; Gortmaker, Steven L. ; Chuang, Emmeline ; Davison, Kirsten K.
• Corporate Authors:
  MA-CORD Project Group
• Description:
  Introduction
  
  Although evidence-based interventions to prevent childhood obesity in school settings exist, few studies have identified factors that enhance school districts’ capacity to undertake such efforts. We describe the implementation of a school-based intervention using classroom lessons based on existing “Eat Well and Keep Moving” and “Planet Health” behavior change interventions and schoolwide activities to target 5,144 children in 4th through 7th grade in 2 low-income school districts.
  
  Methods
  
  The intervention was part of the Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (MA-CORD) project, a multisector community-based intervention implemented from 2012 through 2014. Using mixed methods, we operationalized key implementation outcomes, including acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, implementation fidelity, perceived implementation cost, reach, and sustainability.
  
  Results
  
  MA-CORD was adopted in 2 school districts that were facing resource limitations and competing priorities. Although strong leadership support existed in both communities at baseline, one district’s staff reported less schoolwide readiness and commitment. Consequently, fewer teachers reported engaging in training, teaching lessons, or planning to sustain the lessons after MA-CORD. Interviews showed that principal and superintendent turnover, statewide testing, and teacher burnout limited implementation; passionate wellness champions in schools appeared to offset implementation barriers.
  
  Conclusion
  
  Future interventions should assess adoption readiness at both leadership and staff levels, offer curriculum training sessions during school hours, use school nurses or health teachers as wellness champions to support teachers, and offer incentives such as staff stipends or play equipment to encourage school participation and sustained intervention activities.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Child Child, Preschool Child Health Services Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena Curriculum Exercise Female Health Behavior Humans Male Original Research Pediatric Obesity/prevention & Control Poverty Research School Health Services Schools School Teachers

  More +
• Source:
  Prev Chronic Dis. 14.
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd14.160381
• ISSN:
  1545-1151
• Pubmed ID:
  28084989
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC5234440
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  T32 DK007703/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HL098048/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; U18 DP003370/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  14
• Collection(s):
  Preventing Chronic Disease
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4c600ef7e22c92c86b9b05ee9c43a97fef946898d11ca120d885a51fd3ed7a8c5b4916947d958fc8cdeadf849af2d9e6a2ebf4a67862e74db2b859654dbc3724
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/44012/cdc_44012_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 435.04 KB ]