Participation in a School-Based Wellness Initiative Associated with Improved K-12 Student Body Mass Index Trends

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  • Author(s): Head, Kathleen C. (ORCID Head, Kathleen C. (ORCID 0000-0003-1130-6243); Morella, Kristen; Lugo, Michael P. (ORCID Lugo, Michael P. (ORCID 0000-0002-3769-4793); Key, Janice D. (ORCID Key, Janice D. (ORCID 0000-0001-9131-6489)
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    Journal of School Health. Jul 2023 93(7):547-556.
  • Publication Date:
    2023
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      10
    • Education Level:
      Early Childhood Education
      Elementary Education
      Kindergarten
      Primary Education
      Junior High Schools
      Middle Schools
      Secondary Education
      High Schools
    • Subject Terms:
      Kindergarten; Young Children; Elementary School Students; Middle School Students; High School Students; School Personnel; Wellness; School Activities; Intervention; Student Participation; Body Composition; Program Effectiveness; Control Groups; Stress Management; Physical Activity Level; Employee Attitudes; Work Attitudes; Obesity; Diversity
    • Subject Terms:
      South Carolina
    • Accession Number:
      10.1111/josh.13292
    • ISSN:
      0022-4391
      1746-1561
    • Abstract:
      Background: Associations between school participation in an academic medical center-supported school-based wellness initiative and programmatic components implemented with change in average student body mass index (BMI) over time were examined. Methods: This was an observational study of 103 K-12 South Carolina schools over school years 2014-2018, classified as participating (n = 87 schools, 27,855 students) or non-participating (n = 16 schools; 3608 students). Associations between students' BMI z-score (BMIz) and school participation were evaluated by linear multilevel mixed-effects modeling using data from FitnessGram and the School Wellness Checklist© (SWC), respectively. Results: One-third of the students had a BMI percentile [greater than or equal to]85. Average student BMIz decreased in participating schools (p = 0.026) and increased in non-participating schools (p = 0.004) over time. For schools that participated two or more years, there was an inverse relationship between SWC score and student BMIz (p = 0.002) that did not differ by school type, rural/urban location, Title 1 status, or student sex. Physical activity and stress management interventions for students, as well as employee wellness and establishing a wellness committee at the school level were significantly associated with decreased average student BMIz (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Implementation of similar comprehensive school-based wellness programs focused on improving physical activity, stress management, and employee engagement may help prevent and reduce pediatric obesity in diverse communities.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2023
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1379836