Education Commons^™

Benefits Of School Gardening On Low-Income Elementary School Students, Caitlynn Lange

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The increase in obesity rates in America’s youth could be a reflection of undernourished school lunches, a decrease in physical activity, and the lack of knowledge of health and nutrition. Children who come from a low-income family are more likely to be affected by these circumstances. School gardening may be a way of replacing those impacts. This senior capstone research project examines the benefits of school gardening on low-income elementary school students when implementing as part of the curriculum in schools.

Examine Predictors Of Bmi Classification And Perception Of Overweght Status Of Caregivers Of Preschool Children, Beth H. Chopp

Health Services Research Dissertations

Since the 1970’s the rate of childhood obesity in the United States has tripled and now one in five school-aged children is obese (Ogden et al., 2016). The childhood obesity epidemic will have medical, social, economic implications for future generations. Risk factors for childhood obesity include genetics, food intake, and physical activity, maternal health during pregnancy, parental weight, maternal employment and sociodemographic influences. This study examined the relationship between caregiver misperception of their preschoolers’ overweight/obese weight status and possible predictors that may assist in future interventions. The study evaluated NHANES data of 1245 caregivers with a child under age five …

Observational Study To Identify Best Practices Of Successful Active Science Programs, Elizabeth Egan

Health Sciences Student Work

Introduction: Obesity amongst our nation’s youth is on the rise and has drastically increased in recent decades. This chronic health issue lends to potential risk of developing comorbidity of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, an increased risk of premature death and many other serious chronic diseases. Obesity prevention and health promotion programs aimed at targeting obesity, and more specifically childhood obesity, should implement nutrition and/or physical activity components. Effective programs have taken into account moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) measurements, class size and class management (if the program utilizes an education or group fitness component), and the demographic …

Assessment Of Travis County Health Disparities And Child Obesity Rates, David Rodriguez

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

BACKGROUND: The youth obesity epidemic in the United States represents a prevalence of health challenges that can potentially lead to future preventable diseases. There are many factors that contribute to the ongoing obesity epidemic in America. PURPOSE: This study investigated the correlation between environmental factors, behavioral factors, socioeconomic status (SES), and obesity/overweight rates among school grade children within Travis County. We aimed to identify risk factors that contribute to obesity rates on the national, state, and Travis County levels. METHODS: We researched, contacted school district representatives, and photographed two Travis County school districts on opposite ends of the SES …

Health Promotion In Elementary School Students, Madelyn J. Miles

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

The following project was created to address the rising epidemic of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is caused by many factors such as genetics, metabolism, community and neighborhood design, diet, exercise, and short sleep duration (Center for Disease Control: Childhood Obesity Facts). Social determinants of health, systems of oppression, and stigma can all influence the obesity epidemic. These include but are not limited to social status, location, culture, age, sexuality, ethnicity, and race. These identities can influence affordability and access to healthcare and further contribute to the obesity epidemic. It is important to understand these issues as a future provider. A …

High School Physical Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Role In Impacting Childhood Obesity, John F. Wescott Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background and Purpose of Study: Childhood and adolescent obesity is becoming an increasingly large problem in the United States (Bruss et al., 2010). The epidemic of obesity and associated diseases poses a serious public health challenge. A major concern is the dramatic and continuing increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children. The prevalence of overweight school-aged children in the United States is estimated to have tripled since 1980 (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2012). Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood …

The Effects Of Nutrition Education On Third And Fifth Grade Students’ Fruit And Vegetable Knowledge, Preference, And Consumption, Alexandra Epstein-Solfield

All Master's Theses

Regular consumption of fruit and vegetables (F/V) may reduce the risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases, yet most American school children fail to meet recommended intakes. One proposed method for reducing childhood obesity is implementing school-based nutrition education programs aimed at increasing F/V intake. This repeated measures study examined the effectiveness of an eight-week F/V-targeted nutrition education intervention on elementary-school students’ nutrition knowledge, F/V preference, and salad bar consumption. A convenience sample of third- and fifth-grade students (n = 149) participated in the study. Surveys were administered pre- and post-intervention to assess F/V knowledge and preference. Pre- and post-plate waste …

Project Spraoi: A Strategy To Improve Nutrition And Increase Physical Activity In Primary School Children, Lisa Delaney

Masters

Introduction: Paediatric obesity has become a global epidemic with many countries developing strategies to help tackle its prevalence. School based physical activity (PA) and nutrition interventions have proven to play a promising role in tackling childhood obesity.

Background: Project Spraoi is an Irish primary school based intervention. The intervention was delivered to an intervention school to help enhance PA and nutritional behaviour amongst pupils. The intervention school was assigned an ‘Energizer’; a trained PA and nutrition change agent who worked with the school to achieve the objectives. For evaluation purposes a control school was recruited.

Methodology: Pupils from the intervention …

Accuracy Of Neck Circumference In Classifying Overweight And Obese Us Children, Youngwon Kim, Jung-Min Lee, Kelly Laursen, Yang Bai, Glenn A. Gaesser, Gregory J. Welk

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Objective. To evaluate classification accuracy of NC and compare it with body mass index (BMI) in identifying overweight/obese US children. Methods. Data were collected from 92 children (boys: 61) aged 7 to 13 over a 2-year period. NC, BMI, and percent of body fat (BF%) were measured in each child and their corresponding cut-off values were applied to classify the children as being overweight/obese. Classification accuracy of NC and BMI was systematically investigated for boys and girls in relation to true overweight/obesity categorization as assessed with a criterion measure of BF% (i.e., Bod Pod). Results. For boys, Cohen’s k (0.25), …

The Impact Of A Dance Aerobics Program On Middle School Girls' Physical Activity Level, Self-Efficacy, And Decisional Balance, Alexis Suozzi Bridley

Dissertations

Rates of childhood obesity have increased dramatically in recent years. Decrease in physical activity is among the leading causes, with adolescent females at greatest risk for obesity. School-based interventions have shown promise; however, few studies have considered the type of activity on physical activity level. According to the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), intrinsic readiness, self-efficacy, and perceived risks and benefits regarding change contribute to behavior change. Yet no known studies have considered the impact of intervention with a traditionally preferred activity on selfefficacy and decisional balance. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the impact of a 2- week dance aerobics program …

We Must All Work To Solve Childhood Obesity, Lisa Barkley

UCF Forum

Obesity is a global epidemic. It is particularly affecting our children and adolescents. This new phenomenon of having a chronic medical condition affecting such a large proportion of those under 18 years old is unprecedented.

The Lack Of Physical Activity In Children And The Associations With Childhood Obesity: An Overview Of The Causes, Effects And Implications, Kristen Lemay

Community Engagement Student Work

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past thirty years in the United States, while educational performance has decreased among the world rankings. There has now been an emphasis on personal fitness and education must be implemented on today’s youth in order to promote a healthier, educated population. This paper will seek to describe the main causes and effects of childhood obesity, while explaining the detrimental health risks, as well. There will be a general overview of the history of physical education in the United States from the very beginning up until today, to show how much it has …

Parental Perception Of Childhood Obesity And The School's Role On Prevention And Interventions In Childhood Obesity, Monique Jones

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Childhood obesity is a major health crisis that is becoming an epidemic among children and adolescents. Interventions must begin early and focus on prevention strategies to achieve the goal of increasing quality years of life for today's children and families. Parents with children in a local after school Boys & Girls club were surveyed regarding their perception of childhood obesity, the causes of childhood obesity, and the school's role in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. More than 90% of the participants identified inactivity, poor eating behavior, eating too much, and lack of money to buy nutritious foods as …

Childhood Obesity And Its Relationship To Sedentary Behavior Patterns Vs. Other Independent Risk Factors Of Obesity Among Navy Dependent Adolescents, Shaye Lauren Arluk

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Background According to data gathered in the NHANES 1999 survey 14% of American children are now classified as obese, a 60% increase in prevalence from the NHANES II survey in 1976. Multiple research studies have looked at the role of dietary intake, heredity, and physical activity participation as independent risk factors of obesity with mixed results. However, sedentary behavior patterns, which have markedly increased in the past ten years, have not been extensively studied in relation to childhood obesity. The goal of this study was to focus on the relationship between various sedentary behaviors and childhood obesity.

Methods Two descriptive …