MISSION, GOALS, & OBJECTIVES

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OUR MISSION

START Now aims to improve the health of the Westmoreland County community by providing school-based support for the prevention of adolescent overweight and obesity.

PROGRAM GOALS

  • Increase healthy dietary behaviors in Westmoreland County high school students.
  • Increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviors in Westmoreland County high school students.
  • Reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Westmoreland County residents.

OBJECTIVES

Process Objectives
  • During the START Now pilot, a program facilitator will deliver 120 classroom-based nutrition education lessons (12 lessons/class x 5 classes/semester x 2 semesters) to PTHS students.
  • During the START Now pilot, 300 PTHS students will participate in a 12-lesson, classroom-based nutrition education curriculum.
  • During the START Now pilot, a program facilitator will deliver 12 face-to-face nutrition education sessions (2 sessions x 3 time slot choices/session x 2 semesters) to parents.
  • During the START Now pilot, a parent/guardian of at least 75% of students in the program will participate in two face-to-face nutrition education sessions for parents.
  • During the START Now pilot, program staff will deliver 1,200 digital newsletters (4 newsletters/parent x 300 parents) to the parents of program participants.
  • During the START Now pilot, parents will open and engage with at least 60% of the program-specific digital newsletters that are delivered to them.
  • During the START Now pilot, at least 75% of student participants will rate their experience in the program as “good” or better.
  • During the START Now pilot, at least 75% of parent participants will rate their experience in the in-person sessions as “good” or better.
Impact Objectives
  • Six months after program completion, at least 50% of student participants will report improved food and meal choice behaviors vs. pre-program baseline through an adapted version of the School-Based Nutrition Monitoring secondary level student questionnaire (Hoelscher et al., 2003).
  • Six months after program completion, at least 50% of student participants will report increased physical activity vs. pre-program baseline through an adapted version of the School-Based Nutrition Monitoring secondary level student questionnaire (Hoelscher et al., 2003).
  • Upon program completion, at least 75% of parent participants will report having implemented at least two healthful changes (diet or PA-related) in their own home.
  • By the end of the program, at least two changes per school will be implemented that improve the healthfulness of the school food environment (food offerings, behavioral economics, and/or school food policy).
  • By the end of the program, at least five student participants will form a program-sponsored, student-led coalition/club that will advocate for continued improvements to the healthfulness of the school food environment.
  • During its 2022 Wellness Policy Assessment, PTHS will improve to a “fully in place” rating for the adequate training of staff who carry out classroom-based nutrition education.
  • By the end of the program, at least 75% of student participants will be able to propose appropriate changes to their own eating behaviors to meet the MyPlate Dietary Guidelines for adolescents of their age and sex.
  • By the end of the program, at least 90% of student participants will be able to explain the PA and screen time recommendations for teens.
  • By the end of the program, at least 75% of student participants will be able to create a healthy, balanced meal using foods sold in the school cafeteria.
Outcome Objectives
  • By the year 2032, the prevalence of obesity among Westmoreland County adults aged 18+ will be reduced to 28.8% or less.
    • Target-setting method: 10% improvement vs. 2017-2019 data (Pennsylvania Department of Health, 2020).
  • By the year 2032, the prevalence of overweight (inclusive of obesity) among Westmoreland County adults aged 18+ will be reduced to 60.3% or less.
    • Target-setting method: 10% improvement vs. 2017-2019 data (Pennsylvania Department of Health, 2020).

 

References

Hoelscher, D. M., Day, R. S., Kelder, S. H., & Ward, J. L. (2003). Reproducibility and validity of the secondary level School-Based Nutrition Monitoring student questionnaire. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 103(2), 186–194. https://doi.org/10.1053/jada.2003.50031

Pennsylvania Department of Health. (2020, October 22). Westmoreland. Pennsylvania County Health Profiles. https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/HealthStatistics/VitalStatistics/CountyHealthProfiles/Documents/current/Westmoreland.aspx

 

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