Here is my topic and Research Question for my essay
Topic:
The Effectiveness of Public School Nutrition Programs in Promoting Healthy Eating Habits/Options for Children
Research Questions:
How do public school nutrition programs contribute to reducing childhood obesity rates and promoting healthy weight management for students?
Here are 6 of the sources I found that I have used
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2004.045898
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531715000032
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pits.20146
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/index.htm#:~:text=In%202017%E2%80%932018%2C%20about%201,%2D19%20year%20olds)1%20.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=a65c68435379b85dbc95cc853d846a2ede24004e
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2009.00548.x
Here is a short literature review that I did on this topic:
According to Veugelers and Fitzgerald, childhood obesity is a significant global public health issue since it is linked to several other health conditions and a reduced quality of life. In order to address this issue, programs implemented inside schools that prioritize promoting a nutritious diet and physical exercise have been recommended as successful solutions. But the data regarding the effectiveness of these programs has been positive.
A research study done in Nova Scotia, Canada, evaluated the efficacy of school projects in preventing childhood obesity. The study did a survey on a total of 5,200 fifth-grade kids, as well as their parents and school administrators. The survey tested several factors, including height, weight, nutritional consumption, and physical activity. Schools were then categorized according to whether they had nutrition programs or not, with a specific emphasis on the Annapolis Valley Health Promoting Schools Project (AVHPSP). This project is a comprehensive effort that includes healthy eating programs based on guidelines from the CDC.
The findings from the survey showed that kids enrolled in schools that implemented nutrition programs, especially the AVHPSP, had reduced rates of overweight and obesity, improved eating practices, and increased levels of physical activity in comparison to students attending schools without nutrition programs. The findings provided evidence for the success of comprehensive and diverse school interventions in ending childhood obesity.
The study that Hung, Tidwell, Hall, Lee, Bailey, and Hunt did provides meta-analytical research that aims to look at the efficacy of school-based obesity prevention programs and identify program components that may influence their success. The study did a deep search of databases and included publications that provided body mass index (BMI) as outcome metrics. The meta-analysis consisted of 27 school-based childhood obesity prevention programs, which involved a total of 26,114 children. The main metric of interest was the standardized mean difference (SMD) in BMI. The meta-analysis showed a minimal summary effect size of 0.039, showing that school-based interventions did not provide significant improvements in children’s BMI.
But there were major variations across the research. Research has shown that studies conducted using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) approach were more successful in changing BMI compared to treatments that did not use an RCT approach. Also, treatments that had only one program component, either physical activity or nutrition, had more success compared to interventions with two or more components. Programs that used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design and included a single moderator provided the most significant effect size.
Pyle’s, Sharkey’s, Yetter’s, Fleix’s, Furlong’s, and Poston’s article examines several factors in effective treatments used for reducing obesity in schools. The focus of this program is on promoting a healthy weight, not just focusing on weight loss or reaching a certain weight. The article emphasizes the relationship between different eating-related issues and the potential dangers of childhood dieting, using information from multiple sources, including Barlow & Dietz (1998), Sheslow & Hassink (1997), the Society for Nutrition Education: Weight Realities Division (SNEWRD, 2003), Spencer (1998), and Zametkin et al. (2004).
Successful therapies usually combine a range of methods, like behavioral management counseling, teaching tools for selecting healthy foods, including physical exercise into their daily schedules, and involving parents and family members in the treatment process. This comprehensive approach recognizes the complexity of obesity and the need for diverse solutions.
