Obesity Intervention Program in School Children Research Proposal

Obesity

The Introduction and Topic Area

Called "the biggest threat to the health of Americans today," obesity affects two-thirds of American adults and about a fifth of American children (California School Health Care Centers Association, 2009; Kalakanis & Moulton, 2006). Children spend between six to eight hours per day at school, more if they are involved in extra-curricular activities. Schools have "established infrastructure" offering an ample opportunity to provide effective and accessible anti-obesity programs (California School Health Care Centers Association, 2009). This proposal builds on prior research into what works and what does not work in school-based anti-obesity programs, and proposes the development of one such program. Therefore, the topic area is clearly related to preventing and treating childhood obesity, with a focus on involving family, community, faith-based, local businesses, and other community resources.

Question

Based on an analysis of prior research, it is hypothesized that school-based interventions are more effective when they involve partnerships with other social institutions ranging from parental involvement to private sector intervention. This project will be an intervention program using several local resources to ask the question: How can communities foster healthy lifestyles for children by creating a normative culture that discourages junk food and encourages an active lifestyle? The work will be approached systematically with a longitudinal study. Ideally, public policy researchers will learn that the best approaches to reducing childhood obesity involve changes to the normative culture and structure of the community. Simply teaching children about nutrition is not going to result in meaningful change.

Significance

This work is important because obesity is a major threat. It is an ethical problem, impacting the quality of life of Americans. Obesity threatens to undermine national security and national intelligence, and obesity certainly has a high price tag as obesity is a leading cause of preventative illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.

Overview of Approach

The approach to the research will be from systems theory. No social institution exists in isolation of any other institution. Schools are integral to their community, and parents and local businesses need to recognize their responsibility in promoting child health. The techniques used to address the problem include active engagement with community and business leaders. Strategic partnerships will be rooted in pragmatism, ensuring that all stakeholders receive returns on their investment.

Data Collection

Focusing on one community, the field site will be a small town in the American heartland with a high rate of childhood obesity. The instruments used include those measuring such indexes as body mass and weight, but also surveys taking into account lifestyle, time spent exercising, changes in diet, changes in worldview, and mental health issues. As this is a longitudinal study, data will be…