Challenge! in Schools
Program Description
Challenge! in Schools is an obesity prevention and health promotion program targeting urban African American adolescents girls in Baltimore City middle schools. The primary goal of the study is to evaluate the impact of a multi-level intervention on adolescent girls' body composition, diet and physical activity. The study will consist of both an environmental intervention as well as a small group intervention.
The environmental intervention will be implemented through the formation of a Healthy Adolescent Advisory Committee (HAAC) consisting of students, parents, teachers and community leaders. The HAAC will be responsible for organizing and implementing changes to create a healthier school environment. The small group intervention, based on the original Challenge! program, will be implemented after school to a subset of middle-school girls. These meetings will be held at the school as well as the local YMCA. Middle-school girls will learn about healthy diet and exercise behaviors and how to set behavior change goals.
Formative research for this study is currently underway. The school-based intervention will begin during the 2009-2010 school year and continue on for three years.
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