The Boss’ Healthy Buddies Nutrition Resource Is Effective for Elementary School Students

Previously we have shown that our Healthy Eating Decisions school-based intervention can influence students’ selections of the healthiest foods available in their elementary school cafeterias through positive reinforcement techniques. Although effective, we recognized that students were missing fund...

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Main Authors: David W. Pittman, Ida R. Bland, Isai D. Cabrera, Kassie E. Franck, Emily L. Perkins, Nicole A. Schmidt, Heather N. Allen, Savanah R. Atkins, Sharyn B. Pittman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:Journal of Obesity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/4659874
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author David W. Pittman
Ida R. Bland
Isai D. Cabrera
Kassie E. Franck
Emily L. Perkins
Nicole A. Schmidt
Heather N. Allen
Savanah R. Atkins
Sharyn B. Pittman
author_facet David W. Pittman
Ida R. Bland
Isai D. Cabrera
Kassie E. Franck
Emily L. Perkins
Nicole A. Schmidt
Heather N. Allen
Savanah R. Atkins
Sharyn B. Pittman
author_sort David W. Pittman
collection DOAJ
description Previously we have shown that our Healthy Eating Decisions school-based intervention can influence students’ selections of the healthiest foods available in their elementary school cafeterias through positive reinforcement techniques. Although effective, we recognized that students were missing fundamental nutrition knowledge necessary to understand why the Healthy Eating Decisions program identified particular beverages and foods as the healthiest in the cafeteria. Therefore, we developed the Boss’ Healthy Buddies nutrition education resource as a freely available curriculum matched with South Carolina education standards and designed for elementary school students from kindergarten through fourth grade. The current study implemented Boss’ Healthy Buddies and compared its efficacy to a commercially available nutrition program, CATCH. Elementary school students in Spartanburg, South Carolina, received weekly twenty-minute Boss’ Healthy Buddies lessons for eight weeks. Results from preassessment and postassessment surveys were compared with a positive control elementary school using the CATCH program and a negative control school receiving no nutrition education. Results show that Boss’ Healthy Buddies was equally effective as the CATCH program in improving the nutrition attitudes regarding healthiest beverages and food selections with the advantage of being freely available and minimizing the impact on classroom instruction time. In order to reduce most effectively the high prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, it is crucial that children are taught nutrition education to support healthy eating habits at an early age. Both the Healthy Eating Decisions school-based intervention and the Boss’ Healthy Buddies nutrition education program are available online for use as free resources to aid in reducing childhood overweight and obesity within elementary schools.
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spelling doaj-art-89ef2dee4ee04bbda6d7d0b9a1aa55ce2025-08-20T02:09:19ZengWileyJournal of Obesity2090-07082090-07162018-01-01201810.1155/2018/46598744659874The Boss’ Healthy Buddies Nutrition Resource Is Effective for Elementary School StudentsDavid W. Pittman0Ida R. Bland1Isai D. Cabrera2Kassie E. Franck3Emily L. Perkins4Nicole A. Schmidt5Heather N. Allen6Savanah R. Atkins7Sharyn B. Pittman8Department of Psychology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303, USADepartment of Psychology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303, USADepartment of Psychology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303, USADepartment of Psychology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303, USADepartment of Psychology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303, USADepartment of Psychology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303, USADepartment of Psychology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303, USADepartment of Psychology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303, USADepartment of Psychology, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303, USAPreviously we have shown that our Healthy Eating Decisions school-based intervention can influence students’ selections of the healthiest foods available in their elementary school cafeterias through positive reinforcement techniques. Although effective, we recognized that students were missing fundamental nutrition knowledge necessary to understand why the Healthy Eating Decisions program identified particular beverages and foods as the healthiest in the cafeteria. Therefore, we developed the Boss’ Healthy Buddies nutrition education resource as a freely available curriculum matched with South Carolina education standards and designed for elementary school students from kindergarten through fourth grade. The current study implemented Boss’ Healthy Buddies and compared its efficacy to a commercially available nutrition program, CATCH. Elementary school students in Spartanburg, South Carolina, received weekly twenty-minute Boss’ Healthy Buddies lessons for eight weeks. Results from preassessment and postassessment surveys were compared with a positive control elementary school using the CATCH program and a negative control school receiving no nutrition education. Results show that Boss’ Healthy Buddies was equally effective as the CATCH program in improving the nutrition attitudes regarding healthiest beverages and food selections with the advantage of being freely available and minimizing the impact on classroom instruction time. In order to reduce most effectively the high prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, it is crucial that children are taught nutrition education to support healthy eating habits at an early age. Both the Healthy Eating Decisions school-based intervention and the Boss’ Healthy Buddies nutrition education program are available online for use as free resources to aid in reducing childhood overweight and obesity within elementary schools.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/4659874
spellingShingle David W. Pittman
Ida R. Bland
Isai D. Cabrera
Kassie E. Franck
Emily L. Perkins
Nicole A. Schmidt
Heather N. Allen
Savanah R. Atkins
Sharyn B. Pittman
The Boss’ Healthy Buddies Nutrition Resource Is Effective for Elementary School Students
Journal of Obesity
title The Boss’ Healthy Buddies Nutrition Resource Is Effective for Elementary School Students
title_full The Boss’ Healthy Buddies Nutrition Resource Is Effective for Elementary School Students
title_fullStr The Boss’ Healthy Buddies Nutrition Resource Is Effective for Elementary School Students
title_full_unstemmed The Boss’ Healthy Buddies Nutrition Resource Is Effective for Elementary School Students
title_short The Boss’ Healthy Buddies Nutrition Resource Is Effective for Elementary School Students
title_sort boss healthy buddies nutrition resource is effective for elementary school students
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/4659874
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