| School Based Interventions | |
CARDIAC School Interventions
Collaberative School Interventions |
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| Healthy Screening & Education | |
During the yearly summer training, school nurses are given materials to help guide them in introducing the CARDIAC Project to the principals, teachers and 5th grade students. Some of these materials include information on procedures, talking points, and educational facts. For example, the talking point for hte 5th graders is designed as an age appropriate explanation of CARDIAC, so the kids are not only aware of what will happen on screening day, but also excited about knowing how to take an active role in their own health. |
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| Healthy Hearts 4 Kids | |
To learn more, visit their website at http://www.healthyhearts4kids.org [ back to top ] |
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| Take Charge! Be Healthy! | |
To learn more, visit their website at http://www.takechargebehealthy.org [ back to top ] |
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| Nursing Education Initiative | |
Community health nursing students from synthesize the Nursing Process, principles of teaching and learning, change theory, and the foundations of Healthy People WV 2010 by designing, delivering and evaluating a health education program on topics that impact cardiovascular health. Nursing students also work with children at-risk and their parents to increase health knowledge, improve attitudes and intent to change behaviors related to cardiovascular disease risk among fifth graders. Right now, the program is active at Alderson Broaddus College in Barbour County, and it is hoped that other schools of nursing throughout the state will be interested in implementing a similar program. |
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| CARDIAC Kinder, Too, & Teen | |
After screening, parents and children in a select group of counties focus on their diet and activity together over a 6 week period. The intervention group includes Braxton, Marshall, Mason, Monongalia, Pendleton and Taylor counties. They receive developmentally-appropriate education materials for what level of physical activity and diet is adequate for their children. The materials include:
After the 6-week period, families receive a follow up questionnaire and are asked to return their step logs for review. To see findings from past years, please visit our CARDIAC Results page. |
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| Games for Health Project | |
The Games for Health Project examines the effectiveness of using the interactive video game Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) to combat obesity, inactivity, and the subsequent health problems resulting from sedentary lifestyles. During the pilot phase of the project, the participants used DDR at least 5 times a week in their homes, and were asked to log their daily activity, DDR time, steps per day and screen time (other than DDR). The participants, children ages 7-12 who were overweight or at risk of being overweight, were given health assessments at WVU’s Human Performance Lab throughout the course of the study.
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| West Virginia on the Move School Grants Program | |
Ten schools in WV received grants to support improvements in physical activity environments for their students, faculty and the surrounding community. Partnering with West Virginia Action for Healthy Kids and the West Virginia Department of Education, West Virginia on the Move, Inc. awarded this honor to the schools. The grant encourages schools to provide the kids with opportunities to be active before school, during school, and after school. 2006-2007 recipients include:
For more information, please visit: www.wvonthemove.net |
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| Active Academics | |
Active Academics is a web resource for elementary classrooms that will help teachers provide more physical activity opportunities for their students to reach this goal during the school day. Lesson ideas consist of short 10 minute (or less) activities that get students moving, while incorporating classroom materials such as math, reading, health/nutrition and physical education. Active Academics was developed by Eloise Elliott, PhD, Concord University, and colleagues through funds provided by the Cardiovascular Health Program in the WV Bureau for Public Health as part of a grant from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (2005-2006). Continued support for the project is being provided by the WV Bureau for Public Health - Osteoporosis / Arthritis Program. (2006-2007) For more information please visit: www.activeacademics.org |
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| Kinder Dental | |
Starting during the 2006-2007 school year, Kindergarten children in select counties received free dental screenings during regular CARDIAC Kinder screening dates. Parents also receive additional educational materials and follow-up information for proper oral health care. Kinder Dental relies on the help of WVU’s School of Dentistry faculty Richard Meckstroth and Gina Sharps, all of the health science students that participate with the screenings, and the continued support from RHEP site coordinators. Kinder Dental counties include: Braxton, Marshall, Mason, Monongalia, and Pendleton. |
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In partnership with eLearning for Kids, CARDIAC’s leading school based intervention is a web-based instructional module called Healthy Hearts (HH). The eLearning module encourages children to participate in physical activity regularly, eat properly, and avoid the use of tobacco products. It is designed to impact children’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to these risk factors associated with cardiovascular health. The interactive curriculum also integrates concepts from other subject areas such as language arts, physical education, math, science, and technology as suggested in the fifth and sixth grades National Content Standards. HH is endorsed by the West Virginia Department of Education, Office of Healthy Schools. The program is integrated into 5th/6th grade curricula by classroom teachers, health teachers, and media teachers. During the 2006-2007, 2620 students in 34 WV counties used this intervention program.
Take Charge! Be Healthy! is a web-based health module targeting middle and high school-aged youth (ages 12-18). The module focuses on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Health, and provides in-depth content and interactive tasks to enhance learning and encourage positive attitudes and healthy behaviors in today's teens. Take Charge! was piloted in Spring 2007, and released statewide this past fall. The program is also in the process of setting up new pilots in other states to get input from various geographic locations. Created in collaboration with eLearning for Kids, Take Charge! is made possible by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, The WV Bureau for Public Health CVH Program, and The Office of the Governor of WV.