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The Know Your Body program: a review of evaluation studies
K Resnicow1, D Cross, E Wynder
1Child and Adolescent Health Research of American Health Foundation, New York, NY 10017.
Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
|January 1, 1993
Summary
The Know Your Body program showed mixed results in school health promotion. Positive effects on blood pressure and smoking were seen long-term, but other health outcomes varied.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Education
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- The Know Your Body (KYB) program is a school-based health promotion initiative.
- KYB was developed in the 1970s by the American Health Foundation.
- Evaluations of KYB have been conducted across multiple field trials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the Know Your Body program.
- To assess intervention effects on various health-related outcomes.
- To analyze findings from three distinct field trials.
Main Methods:
- Three field trials were conducted to assess the KYB program's effectiveness.
- Data were collected and analyzed at 3-year and 5-year follow-ups.
- A range of health, behavioral, and knowledge variables were measured.
Main Results:
- At 3-year follow-up, significant positive effects were observed for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, smoking, HDL-cholesterol, and health knowledge.
- At 5-year follow-up, consistent positive results were reported for smoking and health knowledge.
- Mixed or null results were found for numerous other variables, including BMI, cholesterol levels, and dietary intake, with overall effect ratios of 48% (3-year) and 19% (5-year).
Conclusions:
- The Know Your Body program demonstrated mixed effectiveness in school health promotion.
- Null results may be attributed to implementation fidelity and study design limitations.
- Further research is recommended to optimize program components and assess broader outcomes.