Abstract
BackgroundThe HealthKick intervention, introduced at eight primary schools in low-income settings in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, aimed to promote healthy lifestyles among learners, their families and school staff. Eight schools from similar settings without any active intervention served as controls.MethodsThe Action Planning Process (APP) guided school staff through a process that enabled them to assess areas for action; identify specific priorities; and set their own goals regarding nutrition and physical activity at their schools. Educators were introduced to the APP and trained to undertake this at their schools by holding workshops. Four action areas were covered, which included the school nutrition environment; physical activity and sport environment; staff health; and chronic disease and diabetes awareness. Intervention schools also received a toolkit comprising an educator’s manual containing planning guides, printed resource materials and a container with physical activity equipment. To facilitate the APP, a champion was identified at each school to drive the APP and liaise with the project team. Over the three-years a record was kept of activities planned and those accomplished. At the end of the intervention, focus group discussions were held with school staff at each school to capture perceptions about the APP and intervention activities.ResultsOverall uptake of events offered by the research team was 65.6 % in 2009, 75 % in 2010 and 62.5 % in 2011. Over the three-year intervention, the school food and nutrition environment action area scored the highest, with 55.5 % of planned actions being undertaken. In the chronic disease and diabetes awareness area 54.2 % actions were completed, while in the school physical activity and sport environment and staff health activity areas 25.9 and 20 % were completed respectively. According to educators, the low level of implementation of APP activities was because of a lack of parental involvement, time and available resources, poor physical environment at schools and socio-economic considerations.ConclusionsThe implementation of the HealthKick intervention was not as successful as anticipated. Actions required for future interventions include increased parental involvement, greater support from the Department of Basic Education and assurance of sufficient motivation and ‘buy-in’ from schools.
Highlights
The HealthKick intervention, introduced at eight primary schools in low-income settings in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, aimed to promote healthy lifestyles among learners, their families and school staff
According to the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are estimated to have attributed to 28 % of the burden of disease in South Africans [8]; research has indicated that 80 % of this burden can be prevented by limiting exposure to modifiable risk factors, such as unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, tobacco use, and alcohol abuse [9]
An evaluation of the HK implementation process showed variable uptake of intervention support actions offered to the schools by the research team and poor implementation of the Action Planning Process (APP), in the areas of physical activity and staff health
Summary
The HealthKick intervention, introduced at eight primary schools in low-income settings in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, aimed to promote healthy lifestyles among learners, their families and school staff. This study provided valuable information regarding healthy lifestyles of learners, parents and educators from the principals’ point of view These principals identified the top three health priorities in learners, parents and educators. In learners these were an unhealthy diet (76 %), lack of physical activity (50 %), and being underweight (47 %). Top health priorities identified for parents were substance abuse (91 %), tobacco use (57 %), and an unhealthy diet (47 %). Those identified for educators were lack of physical activity (33 %), NCDs (24 %), and being overweight and having an unhealthy diet (12 %) [11]. 31 % were found to be overweight, 47 % were obese, 56 % were hypertensive, 80 % used tobacco, 77 % were inactive, and 30 % had high blood cholesterol levels [12]
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