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Formative
Evaluation Summary
Deal Me In . . . food and
fitness
After-School Nutrition Education and Physical Activity Program:
Kindergarten
- 6th Grade |
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Overview
- Program leaders really appreciated
the program materials with the fantastic visual aids. One
site wrote, "We try to teach the children about good nutrition
and sometimes I have a hard time coming up with new ideas.
Your program made it soooo much easier for me."
- Deal Me In activities
rated well among the users, particularly the card games.
- All of the program leaders
responded that the Deal Me In card games were helpful
in educating the children on nutrition and physical activity
concepts.
- The majority of children met
the two primary nutrition program outcomes: they were able
to group foods into the correct food groups and to determine
if food items were considered a healthy snack or breakfast.
Results were statistically significant.
- Deal Me In appeared
to be most effective among the K-2 group, particularly the
activities targeting the objective of choosing individual
foods that contribute to their health (i.e. foods that are
parts of specific food groups) and recognizing healthy food
choices such as healthy foods to eat outside the home.
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In fall 2004, Dairy Council of California
conducted an evaluation of the first release of Deal Me In. food
and fitness (DMI) among children in the after-school setting with
Erika Takada Evaluation and Consulting. The main objective of this
evaluation was to evaluate whether students in after-school settings
are meeting the DMI student outcomes. A mixed methods approach of
quantitative and qualitative methods was utilized. Fifteen after-school
program leaders administered surveys to the children before they began
the implementation of assigned DMI activities and again after the
implementation of DMI activities. Analyses of data from 13 diverse
after-school programs that participated throughout California were
included with 143 K-2 surveys and 179 3-6 surveys. Summarized below
are the DMI evaluation highlights. |
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Food Groups
DMI included card games and booklet
activities that educated children about the food groups that make
up the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. The majority of children were able
to match food items to their appropriate food groups. There was a
statistically significant improvement in children's scores (p<.001)
from pre- to post-test in correctly identifying foods to USDA Food
Guide Pyramid food groups. Table 1 shows percentages by grade.
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Table 1, Food Group Paired t-test
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Grades K-2 |
n= 38 |
Grades 3-6 |
n= 176 |
Food Group Score |
Mean |
p-value |
Mean |
p-value |
Pre |
5.7 |
n/a |
10.0 |
n/a |
Post |
7.4 |
.000*** |
11.0 |
.000*** |
***p<.001 |
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As expected, greater knowledge gains
were observed in the K-2 group, likely due to less prior nutrition
education. Figures 1 and 2 list the pre- and post-test percentages
for statistically significant individual food items. Children correctly
grouped foods post-test for food group foods and items that are classified
as Extras. This knowledge is the first step in the behavior change
process to make better food choices.
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Figure 1, Grades K-2 Statistically Significant
Food Group Items
Figure 2, Grades 3-6 Statistically
Significant Food Group Items
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Healthy Snack and Breakfast
Choices
The second nutrition objective
tested from DMI was for children to be able to identify and select
healthy breakfast and snack food options. The focus was on these two
eating occasions where children have the greatest control and could
demonstrate attitudinal improvement and long-term behavior change.
The K-2 children had a highly statistically significant improvement
in their scores (p< .01) from pre- to post-test. Grade 3-6 children
demonstrated a slight improvement in their scores, although it did
not reach significance. Although not individually statistically significant,
the trend for yogurt and low fat chocolate milk improved suggesting
a positive attitude. It is also important to note that the upper elementary
children already scored well at the pre-test so it was more difficult
to make a statistically significant impact on the score. |
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Table 2, Healthy Snack and Breakfast
Paired t-test
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Grades K-2 |
n= 38 |
Grades 3-6 |
n= 176 |
Healthy snack and breakfast score |
Mean |
p-value |
Mean |
p-value |
Pre |
11.1 |
n/a |
14.5 |
n/a |
Post |
11.9 |
.004** |
14.8 |
.114 |
**p<.01 |
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Program Leader Comments:
Eighty-nine percent of the program
leaders reported that overall the children enjoyed participating in
DMI very much. Seventy-eight percent of the program leaders said that
DMI could help children to improve their eating habits. Those after-school
program leaders who worked with a larger group of children reported
needing to alter the activities slightly to accommodate the size of
the group. The adjustments worked well according to the program leaders.
Leader comments illustrate the value sites have on teaching healthy
eating habits and the positive reaction from children participating
in the program.
| "We try to teach the children
about good nutrition and sometimes I have a hard time coming
up with new ideas. Your program made it soooo much easier
for me."
"Thank you for sharing
this program with us. Although we cannot dictate what the
children eat at home, we can hopefully teach them the value
of healthy food and activity."
"The children had a great
time with this activity. They really like the activity books.
After the activity we had several children suggest that
we use their ideas for our own breakfast in the center.
I think we may do that."
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The children's favorite activities were
those that allowed them to make something to take home. Interestingly,
program leaders liked activities that encouraged talking and discussion
between them and the children as well as among the children. |
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Summary
This evaluation found that, overall,
children in the after-school setting met the DMI student outcomes
as identified by the program goals. With increasing pressure for classroom
time, offering nutrition during out-of-school time provides another
opportunity to teach healthy behaviors. As a result of the program,
children were able to:
- Recognize and choose healthy food
options according to the USDA food guidance system
- Select healthy breakfast and snack
food options
Children and program leaders rated the
program well. With minor adjustments to a few activities, Deal Me
In.food and fitness can be an effective self-contained nutrition and
physical activity program for elementary-aged children in the after-school
setting. |
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Results of this study is listed in the following database: Harvard Health Out-of-School Time Program Evaluations.
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 If
you are an After School Program Director in California you may order Deal
Me In! free of charge. Feel free to submit this electronic
order form or call 1-877-324-7901.
Click here to learn more about ordering materials from outside California.
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