Two interventions will be implemented and evaluated to reduce the prevalence of overweight in children aged 6-9 years, and to reduce the incidence of adolescent pregnancy in children aged 12-14 years. The intervention to reduce the prevalence of overweight will be conducted among students in grades 1-4 in DC elementary schools and will involve their parents/guardians. A randomized controlled design will be utilized. Schools in the intervention group will be exposed to the following four components of the intervention: nutrition education of parents/guardians and their children using Team Nutrition materials; modification of school meals and a la carte menu items to ensure compliance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; education to reduce sedentary behaviors (TV watching, and use of video games and computers); and physical activity using the Physical Best program. Outcome measures will include nutrition knowledge and attitudes, dietary intake, sedentary behavior, and fitness. Comparisons of the outcome measures will be made using bivariate (chi-square and Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables, t-tests for continuous variables, and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests for scaled variables), and multivariate (logistic regression, multiple regression, and ANOA) statistical procedures. The intervention to reduce adolescent pregnancy addresses the initiation of sexual intercourse at alarmingly young ages by adolescents in the U.S. This early sexual activity is of concern because it is linked to a variety of negative developmental outcomes. The intervention is designed to encourage young adolescents to delay sexual debut. The major objective of this project is to continue a longitudinal intervention with children and parents in the DC public schools.
A second aim i s to encourage the sustainability of the program and curricula by training school staff and parents. All intervention adolescents will participate in a curriculum-based program designed to teach and practice refusal skills, avoid peer pressure and risky behaviors, and be provided with information about topics related to sexuality. Also, intervention students will receive academic enhancement services. The parent intervention will include skills training and information on a variety of issues relating to childrearing, parental monitoring, and parent-child communication.
