Factors impacting implementation of nutrition and physical activity policies in rural schools

BMC Public Health

Research

Monica L. Wang¹  Linda K. Ko²  Andrea Kozak³  Sou Hyun Jang⁴  Cynthia K. Perry⁵  Edgar Rodriguez⁶  Catherine Duggan⁶  Caryn Ausenhus⁶  Joshua M. Gold⁷  Judy Leong⁸ 

[1] Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Boston University, 715 Albany Street, 02118, Boston, MA, USA;Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, USA;Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 654 Pioneer Drive, 48309, Rochester, MI, USA;Department of Sociology, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Anam-Dong, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, South Korea;Oregon Health & Science University, School of Nursing, 3455 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd., SN-ADM, 97239, Portland, OR, USA;Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N, M3-B232, 98109, Seattle, WA, USA;Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N, M3-B232, 98109, Seattle, WA, USA;Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, USA;U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, 1660 S. Columbian Way, 98108, Seattle, WA, USA;

关键词: Childhood obesity;    Rural school;    Nutrition;    Physical activity;    Latino students;    Implementation;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-023-15176-y

 received in 2021-12-17, accepted in 2023-01-31,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundRural Latino children have higher rates of obesity compared to non-Latino Whites. Schools are in a unique position to address rural childhood obesity through policies. While evidence exists on factors that promote or impede school-based physical activity (PA) and nutrition policies, only a fraction has been in rural communities. This study seeks to understand 1) the knowledge and perceptions of school nutrition and PA policies and 2) barriers and facilitators to their implementation among rural school stakeholders from Washington State.MethodsWe conducted 20 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with school stakeholders (e.g., principals and school nutrition directors) from four K–12 school districts in the Lower Yakima Valley of Eastern Washington State. Thematic analysis was conducted using inductive, constant comparison approach to identify themes around knowledge and perceptions of policies and barriers and facilitators of policy implementation.ResultsThree main themes were identified: perceptions and knowledge of school PA and nutrition policies, barriers to policy implementation, and facilitators of policy implementation. The majority of stakeholders were supportive of school-based policies promoting PA and a healthy diet, even when lacking a specific understanding of these policies. Four subthemes were identified as barriers to policy implementation: viewing PA as a low priority, misuse of recess time, funding constraints, and lack of strong leadership. Facilitators of implementation included strong leadership at the district level, creating healthy norms through school-community linkages and pooling community resources to improve nutrition and PA among children.ConclusionsSchools provide a unique setting to promote healthy diet and PA behaviors among children and their families. Study findings show that while knowledge of specific nutrition and PA policies may vary, support for such policies were high among rural stakeholders. Study findings can inform policy development and support strategies for policy implementation in rural settings. Future studies may want to examine whether implementation of strategies addressing the barriers and enhancing facilitators lead to success in rural school settings.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023