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. 2018 Sep;50(8):765-775.
doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2018.05.018.

Pilot-Testing an Intervention to Enhance Wellness Policy Implementation in Schools: Wellness Champions for Change

Erin R Hager  1 , Hee-Jung Song  2 , Hannah G Lane  3 , Hallene H Guo  3 , Lea H Jaspers  4 , Megan A Lopes  4
Affiliations

Pilot-Testing an Intervention to Enhance Wellness Policy Implementation in Schools: Wellness Champions for Change

Erin R Hager et al. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2018 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: To develop and pilot-test Wellness Champions for Change (WCC) to enhance local wellness policy (LWP) implementation by forming wellness teams.

Design: Randomized, controlled school-level pilot study.

Setting: Five Maryland school districts.

Participants: A total of 63 elementary, middle, or high schools.

Intervention(s): Developed from stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and existing programs. Schools were randomized within district to (1) WCC training (6-hour, single-day teacher training), (2) WCC training plus technical assistance (TA), or (3) delayed training (control).

Main outcome measure(s): Online teacher/administrator survey pre-post (spring, 1 year apart) that examined the direct effect of the intervention on active wellness team formation (postintervention, 8-item sum score) and LWP implementation (29 items, not implemented to fully implemented)/indirect effect of intervention on LWP implementation via active wellness team formation.

Analysis: Adjusted linear or logistic regression and mediation modeling.

Results: Postintervention, WCC plus TA and WCC had more active wellness teams (vs control, β = 1.49, P = .02 and β = 1.42, P = .03, respectively). No direct effect of intervention on LWP implementation was found. Formation of active wellness teams mediated the association between both WCC plus TA and WCC and LWP implementation (WCC plus TA confidence interval [CI], 1.22-16.25; WCC CI, 10.98-15.61 [CI was significant without 0]).

Conclusions and implications: The WCC intervention approaches indirectly affected LWP implementation through the formation of active wellness teams. These results support building and school-level wellness teams.

Keywords: pediatric obesity; policy; school; wellness programs.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The authors have not stated any conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Pilot study design and curriculum overview. TA indicates technical assistance; WCC, Wellness Champions for Change.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Active wellness teams mediate the relation between both the Wellness Champions for Change plus technical assistance and Wellness Champions for Change intervention and change in local wellness policy implementation. LWP indicates local wellness policy; TA, technical assistance; WCC, Wellness Champions for Change.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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