Smart Bodies Research Component

A critical piece of any good educational program is an evaluation component. Therefore, a formal investigation of the Smart Bodies Program was conducted in East Baton Rouge Parish. The purpose of the research component was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Body Walk, OrganWise Guys, and Take 10! curriculum in promoting child wellness and preventing childhood obesity.

The primary focus areas evaluated were:

1. Fruit and vegetable knowledge and consumption
2. Physical activity knowledge and willingness
3. Parent awareness of their child’s weight status
4. Incidence of “at risk” and overweight among 4th and 5th grade students

Subjects and Methods

Eighteen elementary schools were recruited to participate. Schools were pair-matched and randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. Intervention schools received the entire Smart Bodies program, whereas schools assigned to the control group received no materials.

Smart Bodies is designed for children in grades K-5. However, only 4th and 5th grade students with parental consent were evaluated.

To assess program impact, students completed surveys before and after the 12-week program. Additionally, a small sample of students wore activity monitors on their wrists for seven days before and after the program. Heights and weights were also measured, and Body Mass Index-for-age percentile health reports were generated and given to the school principals and mailed home to parents

Intervention

Teacher requirements for the twelve-week intervention period were as follows:

• Incorporate at least five Take 10! activities per week into their academic lessons in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
• Read one OrganWise Guys book per week (highlighting different health behaviors) with their lessons.
• Utilize all eight OrganWise Guys videos within the twelve weeks to assist in teaching and reinforcing healthy behaviors.
• Track Take 10! activities and students’ fruit and vegetable consumption on supplied posters.
• Send home a Smart Bodies activity sheet for students to complete with their parent or guardian.

Results

• Students that participated in Smart Bodies were twice as willing to taste fruits and vegetables served at school when compared to students that did not experience the program.
• Students that participated in Smart Bodies increased their knowledge of the benefits of physical activity twice as much as students who did not participate in the program.
• Students were more active during a Take 10! activity than during PE, recess, lunch, and after-school.
• Body Mass Index health reports were effective in increasing both school and parent awareness of children’s weight status.
• In the spring of 2007, heights and weights will be re-measured to determine if the incidence of overweight among the students that participated in the Smart Bodies Program has decreased.

These results suggest that, when implemented correctly, the Smart Bodies Program is effective in teaching children about the importance of taking care of their bodies. If children learn how to adopt a healthy lifestyle now, they are less likely to experience the consequences associated with obesity later on in life.