Learner Objectives: 1. examine effects of teacher training on health behavior outcomes of the participants; 2. review the application of a theoretical model to evaluate personal health behavior change in participants.
Since most teacher training programs focus on student outcomes, researchers decided to examine if a teacher training program would also have positive health behavior effects on the participants in the training. Elementary school teachers and counselors participating in a one week drug prevention program designed to train them in a comprehensive health education curriculum were studied to determine if their personal health was affected as a result of their participation in the program and teaching of the curriculum to their students. The curriculum focused on building skills that promote health behavior in addition to promoting cognitive development. The teacher training was held early in June, participants then taught the curriculum to their students during the following academic year, and a site visit was conducted during the later part of the spring semester. At the site visit, evaluation materials were collected and participants were interviewed regarding implementation and effects on personal health behaviors. Thirty one participants responded to questions regarding their health behaviors for nutrition, physical activity, reducing drug use and weight loss at a post implementation site visit. Questions were developed based on Prochaska's Stages of Change model so participants could indicate if they were not thinking about it - “What problem”, “thinking about the change”, “had plans on changing” , “were committed and taking action”, or “had made it and were maintaining”. Results indicated that over half of the participants were “committed and taking action” or had “made the change and were maintaining it” for the behaviors of increasing physical activity (68%) and eating a healthier diet (65%). A smaller percentage reported change for reducing drug use, most commonly caffeine (48%) and for weight loss (42%). Although the training did not focus on individual behavior change for the teachers or counselors, exposure to health concepts and ideas in the teacher training program had a positive effect on their personal health behaviors. Many of the participants also expressed the belief that after teaching the curriculum, they needed to be good role models for their students by engaging in more positive health practices themselves.