Profile of a High School

Student Health Index

CDC assessment tool Divided into 8 modules

6 Meetings held during the month of April & May 2003

Attendance (staff, parents, students, teachers)

Results solely based on task force feedback

School Environment

Policies

44 %

Health Education 42 %

Physical Education 44 %

Nutrition Services 58 %

School Health Services 72 %

School Counseling Services 70 %

Staff Health Promotion 3 %

Family and Community Involvement 40 %

Strengths Policy

Health education class is a requirement Counseling services refer students

w/problems & disordersCommunity access to facilitiesPE requirement

Strengths

Environment PA facilities available at school & community

(track, field, weight room, pool) *Teen health center Students have access to school breakfast &

lunch Cafeteria is clean Meals include variety & low fat items *Extracurricular sports/activities (choir, African

Drum, Girls dance team

Strengths

Curriculum *Health Class is being moved to

Consumer Science *Food & nutrition classes

Health Services *Nutritionist on campus once a week *Full time nurse

Weaknesses

Policy No restrictions on accessing junk food on

school grounds *Low participation in free & reduced lunch

programs Environment

Healthy food items not offered outside of school cafeteria

Easy access to unhealthy foods off campus. *Undrinkable water *50% turn over in student attendance

Weaknesses

Curriculum Health education lesson plans are

limited & more culturally appropriate examples would help the students

*Teachers need to motivate students who do not suit up for PE

Weaknesses Other

Lack of collaboration w/school staff to promote healthy eating/physical activity

Lack of community/staff/parent involvement in planning school programs related to healthy eating & physical activity.

Student Focus Groups

Group Composition

7 groups Divided by sex Girls – 21 total

4-6 participants / group 4 groups

Boys – 22 total 6-8 participants / group 3 groups

Nutrition Questions

What kinds of foods do you get in and around school and from where do you get them?

What makes you choose those foods/places? What makes it easy to eat healthy foods while at

school? What makes it hard to eat healthy foods while at

school? What changes could be made at school to make it

easier to eat healthy foods?

Physical Activity Questions

What physical activities do you do during school and where do you do them?

What makes you decide to do these activities? What makes it easy to be physically active while at

school? What makes it hard to be physically active while at

school? What changes could be made at school to make it

easier to be physically active?

Emerging Themes – Quality

Food in cafeteria perceived as low quality Cleanliness/sanitation of kitchen questioned Think food is “greasy” and not healthy Little variety, same menu (e.g., pizza every day)

Need for more Asian foods mentioned several times Prepackaged foods seen as “safe”

“You can spend $2.50 in the lunchroom and get something that’s nasty, or you can spend the same at QFC for candy and chips and get quality”

Emerging Themes – Quality

Don’t like leftovers being served next day Want food to look appealing Suspicious of other students serving food to them,

although also suspicious of “old people” Breakfast perceived as higher quality

“If you get used to eating good food at school you’ll start eating it other places, instead of spending $5 at McDonald’s for food that will hurt your heart.”

Emerging Themes – Price

Price is a major determinant of food choice Amount of money in pocket determines what and

where to eat Healthy food often perceived as more expensive Cafeteria perceived as inexpensive by some, too

expensive by others

“I can’t always afford a sub, but I can afford $.50

jojos”

Emerging Themes – Food Environment / Availability

Availability is determinant of food choice Unhealthy food – “it’s everywhere” Healthy food hard to find Seeing what others are eating influences choice Smell is determinant

“If you see a banana when you’re getting your lunch, you’re going to eat it.”“When I smell chicken from QFC, I’d rather eat that.”

Emerging Themes – Commercial Influence

Ads influence food choice Sprite Remix always used as example

Listed promotion as method of making it easier to eat healthy foods at school

“… a lot of hype from commercials”

Emerging Themes – “RB is a sports school”

Many activities available, just have to join Some unforgiving of less athletic students Others felt no support from students/teachers if not really

good player

B-ball gets too much attention; need emphasis on other sports

“If you got a body, you’re an athlete”

“If you try, people respect you… If you’re really good, they’ll respect you more”

Emerging Themes – Activities

Many activities wanted, but not currently offered Boxing classes/competition came up independently in girls

and boys groups Not sure if would ↑ or ↓ number of fights

Dancing (social dances, classes, etc.) Tai Bo, aerobics, hip hop aerobics, kick-boxing, roller-

skating Competition is important to make it fun Said right people had to join to make it good

“Get the cool cats, not losers to be on dance team”

Emerging Themes – Facilities

Track, fields, and gym often closed to students; on irregular schedule If open and supervised, students would use If equipment provided, students would play

Weight room equipment needs updating Need more PE equipment

Staff

Survey of 48 Staff

Top things that they wanted to participate in were:

Activities that helped reduce stress Walking Being in some type of support group (e.g.

wellness, nutrition, weight control) Fitness program/activity (e.g. weight training,

aquatics, cardio, karate, kickboxing, biking).

Staff Survey, Cont.

25 said that they would not like something added at the beginning or end of their school day – wanted things incorporated in their work day.

Ideas from staff to make the school environment healthier:

Fewer after school meetings Healthier foods and water available at school Group physical activity opportunities.

Student Survey

~ 20 % speak a language other than English at home.

Number/% of students with BMI percent over 85% and 95% at RBHS?- These data broken down by gender and ethnicity- Frequencies of TV viewing for each category - total and also broken downby gender and ethnicity.- Frequency of soda consumption by gender and ethnicity- Use of cafeteria by gender and ethnicity- The best total indicator of physical activity by total, gender andethnicity.

Student Survey Respondents

Male Female

Black 54 (65%) 52 (58%)

Hispanic 2 (2%) 2 (2%)

Asian 6 (7%) 10 (11%)

White 4 (5%) 0

Multi-racial 8 (10%) 10 (11%)

Pacific Island 2(1%) 13 (15%)

Total N >85%N (%)

>95%N (%)

All students 165 83 (50.3) 49 (29.7)

Males 80 40 (50.0) 25 (31.2)

Females 85 43 (50.6) 24 (28.2)

American Indian 6 1 (16.7) 0

Black 100 50 (50.0) 28 (28.0)

Hispanic 4 2 (50.0) 1 (25.0)

Asian 16 8 (50.0) 3 (18.8)

Pacific Islanders 15 11 (73.3) 9 (60.0)

White 4 2 (50.0) 2 (50.0)

Bi/Multi Racial 17 8 (47.0) 5 (29.0)

BMI Percentages for Age and Gender

Soda Consumption – Times per week Range (0-5+)

Total Students (n=162) Mean 2.8 +/- 1.6

Males (n=77) Mean 2.9 +/- 1.6Females (n=85) Mean 2.8 +/- 1.6American Ind. (n=6) Mean 3.8+/- 1.6Black (n=99) Mean 3.0 +/- 1.5Hispanic (n=4) Mean 1.5 +/- 1.3Asian (n=16) Mean 1.7 +/- 1.7Pacific Island (n=15) Mean 3.3 +/- 1.4White (n=4) Mean 3.2 +/- 2.0Bi/Multi Racial (n=16) Mean 2.3 +/- 1.6

Cafeteria Users (breakfast, lunch or a la carte)N ( %)

Total Students 120 (69.8)Male 64 (77.1)Female 56 (62.9)American Indian 4 (66.7)

Black 70 (66.0)Hispanic 3 (75.0)

Asian 15 (93.8)Pacific Islander 13 (86.7)White 4 (100)

Bi/Multi Racial 11 (61.1)

Times per Week Physically Active

Strenuous Mild

Total 4.0 3.5

Male 4.9 4.9

Female 3.2 3.2

American Indian 3.3 5.7

Black 4.9 3.6

Hispanic 3.3 1.8

Asian 3.9 2.2

Pacific Islander 4.8 3.6

White 4.5 1.8

Multi or Biracial 4.6 4.2

Average Hours of TV Watching per Day – All

N (%)

Don’t watch TV 12 (7.0)

Less than one hour/day 13 (7.6)

1 hour/day 15 (8.7)

2 hours/day 33 (19.2)

3 hours/day 37 (21.5)

4 hours/day 18 (10.5)

5 hours/day 8 (4.7)

6 + hours/day 21 (12.2)

Males Females

Don’t watch TV 3 ( 3.6) 9 (10.1)

Less than one hour/day

7 ( 8.4) 6 ( 6.7)

1 hour/day 8 ( 9.6) 7 ( 7.9)

2 hours/day 19 (22.9) 14 (15.7)

3 hours/day 13 (15.7) 24 (27.0)

4 hours/day 12 (14.5) 6 ( 6.7)

5 hours/day 5 ( 6.0) 3 ( 3.4)

6+ hours/day 6 ( 7.2) 15 (16.9)

TV Watching by Gender