Presenter(s): Christine Pons
Faculty Mentor(s): Elizabeth Budd & Elinor Sullivan
Poster 151
Session: Social Sciences & Humanities
The prevalence of childhood obesity continues to increase in the United States. To prevent this rate from increasing, schools have been identified as an effective setting to address obesity. Specifically, school-based interventions that focus on changing dietary intake and physical activity levels lead to decreased prevalence of obesity in students. In addition to obesity, physical activity and nutrition have direct impacts on one’s risk for chronic diseases and many types of cancer. Thus, the aims of the project include identifying gaps in Oregon school district wellness policies, as well as determining social and environmental factors (i.e.., racial/ethnic makeup of the school, % receiving free/reduced-price lunch at the school, rurality of school setting, walkability of area surrounding school) associated with the strength and comprehensiveness of district school wellness policies across the state. The research question is answered through the location and evaluation of each school district’s wellness policy. These policies are evaluated based on the Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT: 2.0), which assesses how each policy addresses 78 policy items. Based on the assessment, areas of improvement are identified and suggested to the specific school district. The overall assessment shows the strength of each wellness policy in addressing the nutritional and physical needs of Oregon students. Combined with the demographics of each district, these results indicate how a community influences the services provided for student’s nutritional and physical health and attempts to prevent obesity.