Impact of the American Heart Association's Heart Health in the Young Curriculum on Cardiovascular Knowledge Scores and Behavior Changes in Smoking, Exercise, and Nutrition in Eighth Grade Students

Food habits - Health aspects;Junior high school students - Health and hygiene;Health education (Secondary) - Curricula;American Heart Association

Hebert, FredDuquette, Dr. R. Daniel ;

University of Wisconsin

关键词: Food habits - Health aspects;    Junior high school students - Health and hygiene;    Health education (Secondary) - Curricula;    American Heart Association;   

Others  :  https://minds.wisconsin.edu/bitstream/handle/1793/48764/Ohebertfred1987.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: University of Wisconsin

【 摘 要 】

This was a pre-test post-test experimental study. Theexperimental group received 15 (45 minute) lessons from theAHA curriculum. Pre-test and post-test scores wererecorded. The control group attended regular healtheducation classes between the pre-test and the post-test.The Know Your Body Health Questionnaire for grades 6-8 wasused as a base instrument to assess knowledge change. TheKnow Your Body Health Habits Survey instrument was used toassess behavior change in the areas of smoking and exercise.The DINE system, created by Darwin Dennison, was used tomeasure nutrition change. The data was analyzed usingbetween group T-tests and Pearson product momentcorrelations. The alpha level was established at the .05level of significance. Results indicated significantdifferences in knowledge change scores in the experimentalgroup versus the control group. None of the 46 subjects inthe study reported smoking behavior, makinq it impossible totest for smoking change. Statistical significance was notdemonstrated in exercise behavior change in either group.There was not a statistically significant correlationdemonstrated in either the experimental or the control groupbetween knowledge change scores and change scores inexercise behavior. Interestingly, statistical significancewas demonstrated in diet behavior in a negative direction.Both groups decreased their heart healthy nutritionalbehavior from pre-test to post-test. The experimental qroupalso demonstrated a statistically significant correlationbetween knowledge change and diet change, illustratingdecreased heart healthy diet with increased knowledge. Thiswas not true in the control group. The study indicates theneed for comprehensive long-term health education programsto bring about necessary changes in health habits andskills.