Initial Findings of a Multicomponent School Health Intervention in Rural Appalachia: The Greenbrier CHOICES Project

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Health Promotion in Schools

Background:

• Schools are crucial for promoting physical activity (PA) and healthy eating among youth.
• Limited evidence exists for coordinated school-based health interventions in rural Appalachia.
• The Greenbrier Children's Health Opportunities Involving Coordinated Efforts in Schools (GCHOICES) project was a 3-year intervention targeting PA, nutrition, and weight management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the GCHOICES intervention on adolescent PA, dietary behaviors, and weight status.
• Assessing the effectiveness of a multicomponent, school-based health initiative.

Main Methods:

• A 3-year, multicomponent intervention implemented in middle schools.
• Data on PA, dietary behaviors, and body mass index collected at 14 time points.
• Analysis of changes from baseline to Year 3 in a cohort of 4,633 students.

Main Results:

• A 12.8 percentage point increase in students meeting 60 minutes of daily PA from baseline to Year 3.
• No significant changes observed in dietary behaviors.
• No significant differences in body mass index were found.

Conclusions:

• Comprehensive school-based health interventions can positively influence adolescent health behaviors, specifically physical activity.
• Schools provide an optimal environment for health promotion initiatives.
• Interventions addressing multiple levels of influence are more effective for behavior change.