Scheduled for RCB Poster Session II, Thursday, April 14, 2005, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall Poster Area II


Evaluation of the Great Body Shop Health Education Curriculum among 3rd and 5th Grade Elementary School Students

Bart J. Hammig, Carbondale, IL and David A. Birch, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL

Research assessing the impact of elementary school health education is very limited. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the The Great Body Shop (GBS) health education curriculum among elementary school students. The GBS is a 10 unit health education curriculum, with individual curricula designed for use among K-8 students. Participants included 2,155 3rd and 5th grade students in elementary schools selected from rural and urban school districts from select cities in California, Maine, Idaho, and Washington. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, each school district provided both treatment and control schools. Surveys were developed to measure objectives pertaining to the Great Body Shop curriculum. Measures included student health behaviors, knowledge, and values pertaining to a variety of health areas including physical activity, nutrition, infectious disease, and injury. Survey items were designed to assess aspects of the 10 GBS units, as well as aspects of the 6 CDC content areas and the National Health Education Standards. Data from all schools were combined in the analyses, with 3rd and 5th grade data analyzed separately. Results of ANCOVA analyses will examine differences between treatment and control groups as they pertained to the 10 GBS units. Differences based on the 6 CDC content areas, as well as the National Health Education Standards will also be discussed.

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