ERIC Number: EJ1039513
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Oct
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-8405
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Evaluating School Wellness Policy in Curbing Childhood Obesity in Anchorage, Alaska
Parsons, Wendy G.; Garcia, Gabriel M.; Hoffman, Pamela K.
Journal of School Nursing, v30 n5 p324-331 Oct 2014
In 2006, the Anchorage School District implemented a school wellness policy to address the problem of obesity among its elementary-aged students. We assessed whether the addition of this policy is effective in protecting or preventing students from becoming overweight/obese over time. The methods involved following two cohorts of students for 5 years, a cohort not exposed and a cohort exposed to the policy. The results show that exposure to the policy does not significantly protect or prevent students from becoming overweight/obese. However, we found that regardless of being exposed to the policy, boys (odds ratio [OR] = 1.12), ethnic minorities, (OR = 1.18), and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (OR = 1.44) were more likely to remain or become overweight/obese. Our findings suggest that factors outside the school may be impacting students' overweight/obese status. Efforts to curb the problem of childhood obesity should extend to the children's communities and homes.
Descriptors: Obesity, Child Health, Elementary School Students, Wellness, Board of Education Policy, Health Promotion, Prevention, Program Effectiveness, Body Weight, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Ethnic Groups, Low Income Groups, Environmental Influences, Body Composition
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Alaska
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A