Project 1

Evaluating the effectiveness of the dissemination of Action Schools! BC:
A socio-ecological intervention to increase physical activity and healthy
eating in school children.

Project Goals - What are we doing?

Action Schools! BC (AS! BC) is a provincial initiative that adopted a socio-ecological approach to preventing obesity and promoting healthy weights in children. AS! BC engaged stakeholders at multiple levels of influence and across multiple sectors to mobilize schools and facilitate systemic change. At the school level AS! BC utilized a comprehensive school health-based model, identified community and school champions and the development of customized school Action Plans that target the whole school environment and involve families, teachers, principals and community stakeholders in providing more physical activity and healthy eating opportunities throughout the school day. Within the classroom Action component of AS! BC children were invited to "bounce at the bell." This simple intervention (< 10 min per day) significantly improved bone health in boys and girls after 16 months.

Research Outcomes - What will be achieved?

The dissemination phase provides the unique opportunity to evaluate whether the results observed in Phase I are transferable beyond a controlled urban setting to children and their school environments in culturally, economically and geographically diverse regions across BC.

Background - Why is this research important?

Escalating levels of childhood obesity threaten to substantially increase the future burden of chronic diseases in Canada. As obese children have greater risk of being obese later in life and health behaviours such as physical activity track into adulthood, the growing years may represent the best opportunity to enact targeted interventions.


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Publications related to this project

1. Ahamed Y, Macdonald HM, Reed KE, Naylor PJ, Liu-Ambrose TA, McKay HA. Physical activity positively effects academic performance in elementary school children: The Action Schools! BC model. Medicine Science & Sports & Exercise. 2007 Feb; 39 (2):371-376.
2. Naylor PJ, Macdonald HM, Reed KE, McKay HA. Action Schools! BC: A Socio-ecological Approach to Modifying Chronic Disease Risk Factors in Elementary School Children. Prevention of Chronic Disease 2006, 3 (2) A60.
3. Naylor PJ, Macdonald HM, Zebedee JA, Reed KE, McKay HA. Lessons learned from Action Schools! BC - An ‘active school' model to promote physical activity in elementary schools. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 2006; 9:413-423.
4. Reed KE, Warburton DER, Whitney CL & McKay HA. Secular changes in shuttle run performance: a 23 year comparison. Pediatric Exercise Science 2006, 18, 364-373.
5. Reed KE, Warburton DER, Lewanczuk RZ, Haykowsky M, Scott JM, Whitney CL, McGavock JM, McKay HA. Arterial compliance in young children - the role of aerobic fitness. European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation. 2005 12 (5) p592-7.
6. Reed KE, Warburton DER, Whitney CL, McKay HA (2006). Differences in Heart Rate Variability between Asian and Caucasian children living in the same Canadian community. Applied Physiology and Nutritional Metabolism, 31 (3) 277-282.
7. Macdonald HM, Kontulainen SA, Petit MA, Janssen PA, McKay HA. Bone strength and its determinants in pre- and early pubertal boys and girls. Bone 2006; 39:598-608.
8. Petit MA, Macdonald HM, McKay HA. Growing bones: How important is exercise? Current Opinion in Orthopaedics 2006; 17:431-437.
9. Rhodes RE, Macdonald HM, McKay HA. Predicting physical activity intention and behaviour among children in a longitudinal sample. Social Science and Medicine 2006, 62, 3146-3156.

Further information

Action Schools! BC

Project Team

Principal
Investigator(s):

Heather McKay, PhD

Professor, Department of Orthopaedics and Family Practice, Centre for Hip Health

PJ Naylor, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Victoria

Co-Investigators:

Heather Macdonald, PhD
Steve Manske, PhD
Ryan Rhodes, PhD
Darren Warburton, PhD
Joan Wharf-Higgins, PhD

Research Expertise:

bone health, children physical activity, medical imaging, osteoporosis, community based, child obesity, disease prevention MRI, PQCT, DXA, comp. school health

Contact Information:

588-858 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 1L8
Heather.mckay@ubc.ca
604-875-5346

Funding Support:

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Heart and Stroke Foundation
Professor McKay is a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Senior Scholar