1 · The precise goal of the study or experiment · The population · Your expected sample size · How you will go about collecting your sample · Exactly what statistical computations you expect to perform (hypothesis, null hypothesis, alternative hypothesis, type I and II error, significance level, critical value, P-value, etc. · How you will present your results to the reader · Itemized expected cost for your study in terms of time and money Childhood Obesity among Pittsburgh School Students, Ages 6-12 Years The hypothesis of if schools served healthier food and gave the children more time to eat as well as having more chances to be active, like recess and physical education, then child hood obesity rates would decrease drastically. This study will investigate effects of teaching obese children better habits of eating and exercise and improved habits and self-esteem. The children for the study will be drawn from the general school population (ages 6 to 12). Students (n = 20) will receive a brief intervention regarding nutrition, activity, and snacking. Students will serve as their own control. Each participant will be pre- and post-tested regarding eating behavior, activity, snacking behavior, and levels of self-esteem. The hypothesis will be tested through the application of quantitative analysis (one-way ANOVA) to the data collected (Dotsch, Kokocinski, Knerr, Rascher, Rascher & Weigel, 2008). The goal of this proposal is to study the prevalence of obesity among school children 6-12 years old in Pittsburgh Public Schools, and to identify any variation as per age, gender, place of residence, and type of school. Obesity is usually defined as more than 20 percent above ideal weight for a particular height and age ("Obesity,"). This proposal is addressed to meet the needs of children who have become obese due to environmental factors. If we can alter a few key and relatively simple areas in the lives of individuals, reinforce this within the schools and community, and re-evaluate the messages being sent in our culture, American school children will soon see an end to an excessive weight gain. The results of this survey are important for the development of evidence-based practice guidelines and the overall process will have an impact on the clinical practice, research and dietetic policy. School children between 6-12 years old will be sampled using stratified random sampling (SRS) with cumulative population proportionate from each school (cluster) of four districts. A total of 20 clusters will be selected by systematic sampling. The clusters spread out geographically by schools, and then the sample starts at a random cluster and then takes every 10th cluster in the list. First, take a separate SRS in each stratum to allow separate conclusions about each stratum. Then, a stratified sample will have a smaller margin of error than an SRS of the same size. Data will be analyzed using Body Mass Index (BMI- CDC) calculator and/or a .

1. 1
· The precise goal of the study or experiment
· The population
· Your expected sample size
· How you will go about collecting your sample
· Exactly what statistical computations you expect to perform
(hypothesis, null hypothesis, alternative hypothesis, type I and
II error, significance level, critical value, P-value, etc.
· How you will present your results to the reader
· Itemized expected cost for your study in terms of time and
money
Childhood Obesity among Pittsburgh School Students, Ages 6-
12 Years
The hypothesis of if schools served healthier food and gave the
children more time to eat as well as having more chances to be
active, like recess and physical education, then child hood
obesity rates would decrease drastically. This study will
investigate effects of teaching obese children better habits of
eating and exercise and improved habits and self-esteem. The
children for the study will be drawn from the general school
population (ages 6 to 12). Students (n = 20) will receive a brief
intervention regarding nutrition, activity, and snacking.
Students will serve as their own control. Each participant will
be pre- and post-tested regarding eating behavior, activity,
snacking behavior, and levels of self-esteem. The hypothesis
will be tested through the application of quantitative analysis
(one-way ANOVA) to the data collected
(Dotsch, Kokocinski, Knerr, Rascher, Rascher & Weigel, 2008).
The goal of this proposal is to study the prevalence of obesity
among school children 6-12 years old in Pittsburgh Public
Schools, and to identify any variation as per age, gender, place
of residence, and type of school. Obesity is usually defined as

2. more than 20 percent above ideal weight for a particular height
and age ("Obesity,"). This proposal is addressed to meet the
needs of children who have become obese due to environmental
factors. If we can alter a few key and relatively simple areas in
the lives of individuals, reinforce this within the schools and
community, and re-evaluate the messages being sent in our
culture, American school children will soon see an end to an
excessive weight gain.
The results of this survey are important for the
development of evidence-based practice guidelines and the
overall process will have an impact on the clinical practice,
research and dietetic policy.
School children between 6-12 years old will be sampled
using stratified random sampling (SRS) with cumulative
population proportionate from each school (cluster) of four
districts. A total of 20 clusters will be selected by systematic
sampling. The clusters spread out geographically by schools,
and then the sample starts at a random cluster and then takes
every 10th cluster in the list. First, take a separate SRS in each
stratum to allow separate conclusions about each stratum.
Then, a stratified sample will have a smaller margin of error
than an SRS of the same size. Data will be analyzed using Body
Mass Index (BMI- CDC) calculator and/or a calculator.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), Body Mass Index is defined as a measure used to
determine childhood overweight and obesity. It is calculated
using a child's weight and height. BMI does not measure body
fat directly, but it is a reasonable indicator of body fatness for
most children and teens ("Basics about childhood," 2012).
The Pittsburgh school district operates 86 elementary schools
with a total of 33,463 children in the age group of 6-12 years
old, studying in grades 1 to 7 will be selected from each school
within the Pittsburgh elementary schools, from attendance
register by systematic random sampling technique with equal

3. representation in each age/gender category. All children found
to be <6, >12 years of age, children whose exact birth date was
not available, children without written informed consent, and
those with height/weight error during data management were
excluded from the data analysis. It is expected that an SRS of
3,000 students will give every student a chance to participate in
the sample. The stratified sample will consist of two groups
each of 1,500—one for female and one for male. The margin of
error for 95% confidence will be about 2.6%. A list of schools
will be made available ("Elementary schools located," 2010).
Children and adolescents in each group were divided into three
groups according to ages—6-7 years, 8-9 years, and 10-12
years. Children will be classified overweight (defined as body
mass index (BMI) >90th percentile for age and gender) obese
(BMI >97th percentile), and extremely obese (BMI) >99.5th
percentile), according to the Childhood Obesity Group and
Pediatric Obesity, congruent with adult standards used to assess
overweight and obesity
(Dotsch, Kokocinski, Knerr, Rascher, Rascher & Weigel, 2008).
The study has ethical clearance. Written informed consent will
be obtained from parents. Permission will be obtained by
Director of Health, Director of Education, and all the school
Principals that will participate in the study. The study will be
sponsored by the Department of Health, Pittsburgh Public
School, and supported by Department of Education.
This study will focus on groups 6-12 years old for samples. The
study will be conducted from October 2013 through January
2014. Specifically, the following research questions will be
explored:
1. What are the strategies to combat obesity that are currently
being used in the United States?
2. How is obesity measured?
3. How do you know your child is obese and what causes a child
to become obese?
4. What is the most recommended among the strategies being
advised by dietitians and health experts?

4. 5. What can be recommended to help school officials decide
which intervention will be right for them?
Several tables will be used in the survey. One will be a
table showing the prevalence of obesity by age among school
children in Pittsburgh Public Schools. Another table will
consist of obesity by gender and schools among children in
Pittsburgh Public Schools. It is expected that funds for the
Childhood Obesity survey will range from $20,000 to $30,000.
"Overweight and obesity are the result of a positive energy
balance—that is, a long-term excess of energy intake (food and
beverage consumption) over energy expenditure (basal
metabolic rate, physical activity). Although some people are
more genetically susceptible to weight gain than others, the
rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity in recent years has
occurred too quickly to be explained by genetic changes and
most experts believe it is due to living in an increasingly
‘obesogenic’ environment—one that promotes over-
consumption of food and drinks and limits opportunities for
physical activity” ("Obesity questions and," 2011).
Obesity rates among children have increased sharply throughout
the United States. Over the past three decades, the prevalence
of obese children has tripled. Today, nearly one out of three
children is obese. Lack of healthy eating and physical activity
are leading causes of obesity. Many children eat foods that are
high in fat, drink beverages that are high in sugar, and do not
eat enough fruits and vegetables. We know that the earlier we
intervene, the better off the outcome. Additionally, many
children spend less time doing quality physical activities and
spend too much time being sedentary. High adult obesity rates
have made reducing childhood obesity a goal for doctors,
researchers and policy-makers, since obese or overweight
preschoolers are five times as likely to become obese or
overweight adults (Riely, 2013).

5. References
(2012). Basics for childhood obesity. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/basics.html
Dotsch, J., Kokocinski, K., Knerr, J., Rascher, W., Rascher, W.,
& Weigel, C. (2008). Childhood obesity: concept, feasibility,
and interim results of a local group-based, long-term
treatment program. National Center for Biotechnology
Information, doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2007.07.009. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18984493
Elementary schools located in pittsburgh. (2010). Retrieved
from http://www.city- data.com/school/Pittsburgh-
Pennsylvania.html
(n.d.). Obesity. American Academy of Pediatrics, Retrieved
from http://www.healthychildren.org/english/health-
issues/conditions/obesity/Pages/default.aspx?WT.srch=1
Obesity questions and answers. (2011, December 06). Retrieved
from http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-
conditions/obesity/obesity-questions- and-answers
Riely, K. (2013, August 08). Answers sought for rise in pa.
child obesity rate. Retrieved from http://www.post-
gazette.com/stories/local/region/answers-sought-for-rise-in-pa-
child- obesity-rate-698627/
1. Which of the following is a disadvantage of forced
distribution?
·
May be inaccurate if a group of employees is either very
effective or ineffective
·

6. Provides little basis for individual feedback and development
·
Forces raters to make distinctions among employees
·
Difficult to make comparisons across employees
2. To avoid legal difficulties regarding performance appraisals,
organizations should
·
allow supervisors flexibility in the appraisal process
·
provide written instructions and train supervisors on the rating
system
·
use the competitors appraisal system
·
train supervisors on how to skip embarrassing questions
3. Most companies require that appraisal results be
·
discussed with the employee
·
e-mailed to the employee
·
only provided on an annual basis
·
sent by certified mail to the employee
4. Prior to the performance-feedback interview, the supervisor
should
·
refrain from speaking to subordinates
·
communicate frequently with subordinates about their
performance
·

7. have a coworker complete the entire appraisal
·
set aside a maximum of 15 minutes to write the appraisal
5. ________ implies that a performance appraisal system is
capable of distinguishing effective from ineffective performers.
·
Reliability
·
Sensitivity
·
Relevance
·
Acceptability
6. Which of the following is an advantage of narrative essays?
·
Good for making comparisons across employees
·
Good for individual feedback and development
·
Provides a direct link between job analysis and performance
appraisal
·
Forces raters to make distinctions among employees
7. The answer to the question “What really makes the difference
between success and failure on a particular job, and according
to whom?” determines
·
reliability
·
coherence

8. ·
sensitivity
·
relevance
8. Supervisors that excel at conducting performance-feedback
interviews typically have received _________ prior to
conducting appraisals.
·
a promotion
·
training
·
vacation
·
a bonus
9. _____ translate job requirements into levels of acceptable or
unacceptable employee behavior.
·
Absolute rating systems
·
Qualitative analyses
·
Performance standards
·
Reliability judgments
10. Appraisals provide legal and formal organizational
justification for
·
employment decisions
·
high executive salaries
·

9. bringing legal action against employees
·
keeping unions out
11. The advantage of using a behavioral checklist is that
·
it is good for individual feedback and development
·
it focuses directly on job behaviors
·
it provides a direct link between job analysis and performance
appraisal
·
the meaning of response categories is generally interpreted
similarly by various raters
12. To minimize defensive behavior, procedures used for
promotion decisions must be
·
rigid
·
changed frequently
·
fair
·
flexible
13. Psychologically, promotions help satisfy employees’ need
for
·
discipline
·

10. superiority
·
security
·
separation
14. One requirement of sound appraisal systems is _____, which
refers to consistency of judgment.
·
reliability
·
acceptability
·
sensitivity
·
relevance
15. From the organizations perspective, the four broad types of
internal moves include
·
layoffs, retirements, resignations, and demotions
·
promotions, demotions, transfers, and relocations
·
demotions, transfers, relocations, and resignations
·
promotions, demotions, transfers, and layoffs