Evaluation of a community-based participatory physical activity promotion project: effect on cardiovascular disease risk profiles of school employees

BMC Public Health

Research Article

David M Thompson¹  Cee E Kobza²  Kathryn Abbott³  June E Eichner⁴  William E Moore⁴  Noha H Farag⁴ 

[1] Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA;School Nurse, Anadarko Middle School, Anadarko, OK, USA;School Nurse, East Elementary, Anadarko, OK, USA;University of Oklahoma Prevention Research Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA;

关键词: Physical Activity;    International Physical Activity Questionnaire;    School Nurse;    School Employee;    Physical Activity Promotion Program;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-10-313

 received in 2009-07-06, accepted in 2010-06-05,  发布年份 2010

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe efficacy of physical activity in improving cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profiles has been well established. However, the effectiveness of health promotion programs implemented at the community level remains controversial. This study evaluated a school-based work-site physical activity program.MethodsUsing a community-based participatory research model, a work-site wellness intervention was implemented in a rural public school system in Southwestern Oklahoma. During the 2005-2006 school year, 187 participants (mean age 45 years) completed a pre intervention screening for CVD risk factors followed by a physical activity promotion program. Post intervention screening was conducted after a 6 month period. During both screening sessions, body composition, blood pressure, lipids, glucose and self-reported physical activity levels were assessed. The focus of the intervention was on promoting physical activity. Opportunities for in school physical activity were created by marking hallways, adding a treadmill in each school, and allowing teachers to use planning periods for physical activity.ResultsDuring the post intervention screening, compared to pre intervention levels, participants had lower total, low, and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (t = 5.9, p < 0.0001, t = 2.6, p = 0.01, and t = 13.2, p < 0.0001 respectively), lower systolic blood pressure (t = 2.9, p = 0.004), and higher self-reported physical activity levels (Sign t = -1.901, p = 0.06).ConclusionsA successful participatory program was associated with improvements in several CVD risk factors among school employees. Limitations of this study such as seasonal variation in the outcome variables and lack of a control group limit our ability to draw solid conclusions about the effectiveness of the intervention.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Farag et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010