Ca. Hopper et al., A SCHOOL-BASED CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE AND NUTRITION PROGRAM WITH PARENT PARTICIPATION - AN EVALUATION STUDY, Children's health care, 25(3), 1996, pp. 221-235
This study examined the efficacy of a school-based exercise and nutrit
ion program with a parent component. Second-grade and fourth-grade cla
ssrooms were assigned randomly to a treatment and a control group. The
school-based treatment program focused on decreasing fat and choleste
rol intake and increasing physical activity with a parent educational
component. Children in the treatment group scored significantly higher
and demonstrated greater improvement on fitness/nutrition knowledge a
nd on vegetable and fruit servings. Parents who participated in the in
tervention increased their scores on the fitness/nutrition knowledge t
est. There also was a significant association between degree of family
involvement, higher grain servings, and lower cholesterol intake. The
results within the study limitations were interpreted to suggest that
the program was primarily effective in enhancing knowledge changes fo
r both children and their parents.