Sick Herd - Health and Academic Achievement

Monica Martinez of the San Francisco Chronicle explores the childhood obesity, chronic illness and the impact on attendance and academic achievement.

Siting statistics such as how in 2003, in the US, children between the ages of 5-17 missed more than 12.8 million days of school!

Matinez goes on to discuss new ideas which I had the benefit of hearing discussed at the Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education and Recreation annual meeting including the inclusion of activity in academic classrooms and the training of teachers to use tools for physical activity.

Project Adventure has been very engaged in the obesity crisis and implementing programs to support long-term behavioral change in children and youth who at risk of long-term chronic health issues. Tuba City, Arizona - a Navajo Nation community, inconjunction with Navajo Area Indian Health Service, contacted Project Adventure in 2003 to begin an implementation to mitigate the impact of obesity and Juvenile Diabetes on educational engagement and achievement. Under the direction of Dr. Katie Kilty, then Senior PA trainer, Creating Healthy Habits was born.

Results of a questionnaire administrated to student participants show the positive impact of Creating Healthy Habits:

On a scale of 1 to 4 (with 4 being excellent and 1 being poor), the means on the following questions were:
Please note the overall quality of the ‘adventure ed’ classroom sessions 3.87
How useful did you find the sessions for learning health? 3.48
How would you rate class participation in the sessions? 3.13

On a scale of 1 to 4 (with 4 being a lot and 1 none) the means on the following questions were:
Have the ‘adventure ed’ days made a difference in how you feel or think about your own
personal health? 3.13
Have you made any changes in the way you eat or exercise? 2.50
Have you learned new ways to express you emotions or feelings? 2.78

Sample answers to:
Examples of new emotional expressions
“To respect one another to be honest and friendly”
“I don’t yell as much, I explain things more clearly”
“Writing it down on paper, telling someone I trust”
“When someone said that I was gross and ugly, I told myself that he needs to try adventure ed and learn to respect others.”
What was most valuable about the sessions for you personally?
“Well, to treat others the way you want to be treated”
“Working in a group”
“It made me communicate with people. I felt confident”
“Trying to complete the activities. Teamwork to achieve the event.”
What was least valuable about the sessions for you personally?
“Nothing”
“When we would write out things on the big butcher paper.”
“When everyone did not participate.”
“Nothing”
“Can’t say it was really cool.”
“Talking about my problems”
Did you learn skills in these sessions that are important in your personal life? yes 21, no 1
If you answered “Yes”, have you already used some of these skills? yes 15, 7 no
Would you recommend this class to your friends? yes 21, no 0.

Now available as a package including training, lesson plans and a pack of props and tools, Healthy Habits is implemented in schools, agencies and community based programs to support children and youth to gain efficacy in decision making, choices and developing habits that lead to long term mentally and physically healthy lives.

Designed as a middle school program, Creating Healthy Habits has been successfully adapted at Children's Home RTF outside of Binghamton NY as a resource for residential childcare workers to implement with children and youth in residential treatment. Director Karen Wright credits Creating Healthy Habits with helping childcare workers have tools that focus and engage residents on developing new skills for long-term success.

The program has also been adapted for elementary school age and high school age children and youth and implemented in camp and out-of-school time programs.