Snelling, A.; Hawkins, M.; McClave, R.; Irvine Belson, S. The Role of Teachers in Addressing Childhood Obesity: A School-Based Approach. Nutrients2023, 15, 3981.
Snelling, A.; Hawkins, M.; McClave, R.; Irvine Belson, S. The Role of Teachers in Addressing Childhood Obesity: A School-Based Approach. Nutrients 2023, 15, 3981.
Snelling, A.; Hawkins, M.; McClave, R.; Irvine Belson, S. The Role of Teachers in Addressing Childhood Obesity: A School-Based Approach. Nutrients2023, 15, 3981.
Snelling, A.; Hawkins, M.; McClave, R.; Irvine Belson, S. The Role of Teachers in Addressing Childhood Obesity: A School-Based Approach. Nutrients 2023, 15, 3981.
Abstract
Childhood obesity is one of the most prevalent public health challenges in the United States and although rates are declining overall, rates among children living in underserved neighborhoods are increasing. This five-year intervention project seeks to empower teachers (n=92) to invest in their own health and then to integrate nutrition concepts into core subjects’ lessons in elementary schools. The professional development sessions reflect the concepts in the Whole Child, Whole School, Whole Community model. Results indicate that teachers who attended professional development sessions were more likely to implement nutrition lessons in the classroom (r = 0.54, p<0.01) and students demonstrated a significant increase in nutrition knowledge (p < .001, df = 2, F = 9.66). Investing in school-based programs that ensure teacher well-being and professional development can yield positive benefits for both teachers and students.
Keywords
childhood obesity; teachers; nutrition education; professional development
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
