Assessment of health knowledge after "a healthy adventure"

This study evaluated the general health education program for third graders at Hult Health Education Center (Hult HEC). A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design with four groups was employed to collect pretest and posttest data from 168 third graders. The four groups included a control group, a traditional classroom health education group, a group that visited Hult HEC, and a group that visited Hult HEC and incorporated center curricular materials in the classroom. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was calculated to test for posttest differences among the four groups, while reducing the effects of initial group pretest score differences. A statistically significant difference occurred in posttest scores among the four groups (F = 120.62, df = 4, 163, p = .0001). Post hoc testing revealed the best results were obtained when combining curricular materials with a visit to the Hult HEC.