The document discusses the problem of childhood obesity in Chicago and provides a solution. It created a "Get in the Action Toolkit" to provide resources for community mobilization and family/community involvement in school health. The toolkit guides stakeholders in planning projects to make schools healthier places for kids through family and community engagement activities. Its dissemination aims to empower stakeholders and improve school health across the nation.

1. G e t i n t h e A c t i o n
A Toolkit for Family and Community Involvement in Improving School Health
J’Aimee
A
Louis,
MPH
(c)
DePaul
University
Master
of
Public
Health
Program
Illinois
–
Ac<on
for
Healthy
Kids
The
Problem:
• Childhood
obesity
in
the
United
States
has
grown
considerably,
more
than
doubling
in
children
and
tripling
in
adolescents
in
the
past
30
years1
• Research
from
the
last
ten
years
illustrates
that
children
and
adolescents
living
in
Chicago,
Illinois
are
seriously
impacted
by
the
obesity
epidemic.
• In
2002-­‐2003,
based
on
analyses
of
physical
exam
records
of
students
aged
three
to
five
years,
there
was
an
approximate
obesity
prevalence
of
24%2,
more
than
twice
that
of
the
na<onal
es<mate
at
the
<me
for
children
of
the
same
age
group6
• Over
40%
of
9th
graders
in
Cook
County
are
overweight
or
obese
compared
to
32%
in
the
U.S.3
Figure
1.
Es<mates
of
overweight
or
obesity
prevalence
among
Chicago
Public
Schools
students
in
grades
kindergarten,
6,
and
95
Table
1.
Comparison
of
Overweight
and
Obesity
Rates,
School
Aged
Children;
SCC,
Illinois
and
U.S.3
The
Solu=on:
• According
to
the
literature,
an
integrated
approach
of
parent,
family,
and
community
involvement
in
health
educa<on
is
associated
with
higher
academic
performance,
school
health
environment
improvements
and
sustainable
health
knowledge
and
behavior
changes4
• Researchers
cite
parent-­‐family-­‐community
involvement
as
a
key
to
addressing
the
child
and
adolescent
obesity
crisis,
and
note
that
strong
school-­‐family-­‐community
partnerships
foster
more
effec<ve
programs
that
result
in
more
mo<vated
students.
• Based
on
the
review
of
literature
there
are
four
important
and
effec<ve
ways
that
schools
should
use
to
develop
different
types
of
approaches
to
programs
to
engage
parents
in
school-­‐
related
health
promo<on.
This
is
to
inform,
educate,
involve
and
empower7
The
Get
in
the
Ac=on
Toolkit:
What
is
in
the
GITA
Toolkit?
What
are
the
Outcomes
of
crea=ng
the
GITA
Toolkit?
• Fundraising
and
healthy
ways
to
raise
money
for
GITA
projects
• Recrui<ng
volunteers
• How
to
use
Ac<on
for
Healthy
Kids’
Volunteer
Matching
System
• How
to
get
parents
involved
in
GITA
events
• How
to
find
wellness
champions
at
local
schools
or
in
the
community
• Planning
and
implemen<ng
projects
• How
to
Select
the
best
project
to
meet
the
needs
of
your
school
and
students.
• Communica<ng
and
promo<ng
AFHK
GITA
projects
and
events
• Crea<ng
posters
and
flyers
• Newsleaers
• Press
releases
• Celebra<ng
Success
and
how
to
create
and
disseminate
success
stories
• The
Get
in
the
Ac<on
Toolkit
was
created
by
February
26,
2014,
resul<ng
in
the
availability
of
informa<on
and
resources
related
to
community
mobiliza<on
and
family
and
community
involvement
in
school
health.
• The
Get
in
the
Ac<on
toolkit
was
disseminated
and
piloted
by
March
3,
2014.
Stakeholders
used
the
toolkit
as
a
guide
in
planning
and
implemen<ng
Get
in
the
Ac<on
projects
at
their
local
school.
Feedback
from
this
pilot
gave
insight
on
whether
or
not
the
toolkit
served
its
intended
purpose.
• A
finalized
toolkit
was
created
to
be
disseminated
na<onally
via
the
AFHK
website.
Parents,
teachers,
and
community
stakeholders
will
know
that
the
Get
in
the
Ac<on
Toolkit
exist
by
May
30,
2014.
Informa<on
about
the
toolkit
will
be
sent
to
school
wellness
champions
.
Assuming
that
this
outcome
is
achieved,
increased
knowledge
of
the
toolkit
will
result
in
empowerment
of
family
and
community
stakeholders,
greater
use
of
the
toolkit,
and
eventually
schools
across
the
na<on
will
become
healthier
places
for
children
to
learn
and
grow.
What
is
Get
in
the
Ac=on?
• Launched
in
Chicago
in
2010,
Get
in
the
Ac*on
demonstrates
how
groups
of
passionate
volunteers
can
improve
the
health
environments
of
their
own
neighborhoods
and
schools
by
making
sustainable
changes
that
encourage
students
to
eat
beaer
and
be
ac<ve
every
day.
• GITA
events
are
unique
to
each
school
community
but
may
include
events
such
as
rebuilding
a
school
playground,
renova<ng
a
school
cafeteria,
or
hos<ng
a
school
garden
workdays.
• GITA
events
usually
take
place
at
schools
and
are
ini<ated
by
school
health
teams
to
engage
families
and
community
members.
Table
1.
Overweight
and
Obesity
Rates,
School
Aged
Children;
Comparison
of
SCC,
Illinois
and
U.S.
Kindergarten
(4.5-­‐6.5
years
old)
6th
Grade
(10.5-­‐12.5
years
old)
9th
Grade
(13.5-­‐15.5
years
old)
%
Overweight
%
Obese
%
Overweight
%
Obese
%
Overweight
%
Obese
SCC
14.9
17.9
18.4
23.8
18.9
20.8
U.S.
11.4
12.7
18.6
20.4
15.4
16.7
Note.
Adapted
from
“Overweight
and
Obesity
Prevalence
Among
School-­‐Aged
Children
in
Suburban
Cook
County,
Illinois,”
by
Cook
County
Department
of
Public
Health,
2013a,
http://www.cookcountypublichealth.org/files/community-­‐toolbox/Obesity_Brief_091913_final_339PM.pdf
Acknowledgements
To
Heidi
Knoblock,
Hannah
Laughlin,
and
the
en<re
Illinois-­‐Ac<on
for
Healthy
Kids
staff,
thank
you
for
all
the
advice,
guidance,
informa<on
and
support
throughout
my
prac<cum
at
AFHK.
I
could
not
have
imagined
or
asked
for
a
beaer
prac<cum
experience.
Thank
you
to
the
en<re
staff
and
faculty
of
DePaul
University’s
Master
of
Public
Heath
program
for
providing
me
with
the
wealth
of
knowledge
that
will
guide
me
through
my
journey
as
a
public
health
professional.
To
Kris<n
Jacobson,
you
never
went
easy
on
us,
and
that
was
truly
a
blessing
in
disguise.
Thank
you
for
guiding
me
through
my
prac<cum
and
the
development
of
my
capstone
product
and
thesis.
I
have
learned
the
value
of
simply
trus<ng
the
process.
And
lastly,
to
my
cohorts,
the
Class
of
2014,
this
has
been
a
journey
filled
with
many
ups,
downs,
twists,
and
turns.
I
am
honored
to
have
done
it
by
your
sides.
Onwards
&
upwards.
References:
1. Center
for
Disease
Control
and
Preven<on.
(2013,
April
17).
Overweight
and
Obesity:
A
Growing
Problem.
Retrieved
November
12,
2013,
from
Center
for
Disease
Control
and
Preven<on:
hap://
www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.htm
2. Consor<um
to
Lower
Obesity
in
Chicago
Children.
(2012).
Child
Overweight
and
Obesity
Prevalence
Fact
Sheet.
Consor<um
to
Lower
Obesity
in
Chicago
Children.
Chicago:
CLOCC.
3.
Cook
County
Department
of
Public
Health.
(2013a).
Overweight
and
Obesity
Prevalence
Among
School-­‐Aged
Children
in
Suburban
Cook
County,
Illinois.
Brief,
Public
Health,
Chicago.
Retrieved
November
12,
2013,
from
hap://www.cookcountypublichealth.org/files/
community-­‐toolbox/Obesity_Brief_091913_final_339PM.pdf
4.
Epstein,
J.
L.
(2008,
February).
Improving
Family
and
Community
Involvement
in
Secondary
Schools.
The
Educa<on
Digest
,
8,
8-­‐13.
5. Jones,
R.,
Morita,
J.,
Ramirez,
E.,
Bocskay,
K.,
Lakhani,
A.,
Lionberger,
A.,
.
.
.
Whyte,
S.
(2013).
Overweight
and
Obesity
among
Chicago
Public
Schools
Students,
2010-­‐11.
City
of
Chicago,
Chicago.
6.
Kierig,
C.
(2010).
Data
Show
Rates
of
Obesity
for
Chicago
Children
at
School
Entry
Fell
from
2003
to
2008
While
S*ll
Double
the
Na*onal
Average.
Consor<um
to
Lower
obesity
in
Chicago
Children,
Chicago.
Retrieved
November
3,
2013,
from
hap://www.clocc.net/news/
CLOCC_Data_R_FINAL.pdf
7.
McCall,
D.
(2003).
Parent
Involvement
in
School
Health
Programs.
Health
Educa<on
Quarterly,
6(2),
171-­‐180.