Peer-reviewed article
Change in nutrition patterns through a school-based intervention-The Altus health and wellness academy model.
Strieter L, Wang S, Bhatt T, Heybach J, Arena R ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001A school-based wellness program called the Health and Wellness Academy worked with 72 students (average age 10 years, mostly Hispanic and Black) to improve their eating habits. Students who participated in the program became more willing to try new fruits and vegetables over time. The program combined nutrition education with physical activity, and students showed stronger connections between their food choices and physical activity the longer they were in the program.
Key points
- Willingness to try new fruits increased significantly with program participation (P = 0.011)
- Willingness to try new vegetables increased significantly with program participation (P = 0.001)
- Longer time in the program correlated with greater willingness to try new nutritious foods
- Physical activity and nutritional outcomes became more strongly connected over time
- Tailored, consistent interventions with a dedicated nutrition team were key to engaging youth in nutrition change
Limitations
The study used only pre- and post-surveys without a comparison group, so it cannot rule out other factors that might explain the changes. No information is provided about whether changes in willingness to try fruits and vegetables actually translated into sustained dietary changes or improved health outcomes beyond the program.
Abstract
Background Childhood and adolescent obesity continue to plague our nation. Health interventions must begin early. When students introduce more nutritious foods into their diets like fruits and vegetables, their health is positively impacted. This study reports on improvements in willingness to try new fruits and vegetables and correlated health behaviors, like physical activity, after participation in a school-based wellness program, The Health and Wellness Academy (HWA). Materials and methods Seventy-two students participated in HWA, with a mean age of 10.43 ± 2.18 years. 58.3% were female, 75% were Hispanic, and the remaining 25% were Black. Each HWA session involved tailored nutrition and physical activity interventions. Pre- and post-program surveys were utilized to obtain nutrition data. Results Results indicated that the willingness to try new fruits and new vegetables increased along with the length of time in HWA. The mixed linear model regression results revealed significant time effects on both willingness to try new fruits (P = 0.011) and willingness to try new vegetables (P = 0.001). Additionally, Spearman correlation analyses between nutritional outcomes and physical activity outcomes indicated that the relationship between different variables changed from baseline to follow-up assessments (r = 0.31, 0.48 and 0.32, with P = 0.033, 0.001, and 0.028). Conclusions Having a consistent, sustained intervention with a dedicated nutrition team allows youth to be exposed to a variety of nutrition options. Our findings indicate the HWA's tailored model allows for youth to find nutrition that is meaningful and relevant, thus willing to try new nutritious foods.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- The Health and Wellness Academy (HWA): a school-based program providing tailored nutrition education and physical activity interventions with a dedicated nutrition team
- Population
- 72 students with mean age 10.43 years; 58.3% female, 75% Hispanic, 25% Black
Key finding
Willingness to try new fruits increased significantly (P = 0.011)