A.S. Birnbaum, J. Davis-Manigualte , E. Irish-Spencer, T. Miner, T.R. Nichols,

1. Promoting Adolescent Health in the Community: A Collaborative Approach to Preventing Childhood Obesity A.S. Birnbaum, J. Davis-Manigualte, E. Irish-Spencer, T. Miner, T.R. Nichols, C. Parker-Duncanson, & C. Temlock-Teichman

2. Outdoor Educ CU Public Health WMC Cooperative Ext @ NYC CU Human Ecology CU Urban Semester CU Nutrition CU Healthy Adolescent Research Group

3. Good Fit Project Funded by National Cancer Institute

4. Background • Developed in response to an RFA on Mechanisms of Physical Activity (PA) Behavior Change • Hypothesized mechanism for increasing afterschool PA in urban multiethnic 11-14 year-olds: • Motivating and training them to identify and engage in PAs that are a good fit with their 1) environmental, 2) physiological, and 3) psychosocial contexts and needs • Funding to develop materials and measures for a series of afterschool skills-building workshops • Strong youth involvement in materials design • Conceptual and strategic guides - Social ecological models of behavior - Adolescent development - Social marketing techniques

5. Objectives • Develop tools for an innovative and scientifically sound PA promotion intervention and measurement protocol • Involve young adolescents in designing intervention messages and materials for promoting PA behavior change. • Use formative research to confirm and refine the model of person–PA environmental, physiological, and psychosocial compatibility (“Good Fit”). • Create clear behavioral messages about safe, appealing, and realistic PA practices for youth with physiological concerns such as asthma, overweight, and low levels of baseline activity. • Conduct instrument development activities to accurately assess the proposed environmental, physiological, and psychosocial mediators targeted by the intervention.

6. Phase I • Activities • Focus Groups with Adolescents (N=7) • Key Informant Interviews with Afterschool Program Leaders (N=10) • Image Bank Sub-Study • Preliminary Findings • Program leaders perceived inner-city multiethnic youth are interested in a limited scope of PAs, mostly basketball and dance • Adolescents did not perceive themselves as overly constrained by their environments • Adolescents reported context as critical to enjoyment of PA • - Competition sometimes enhances enjoyment, sometimes • detracts from it • - Sometimes knowing how to do the PA and doing it well are • important, other times it is fun to do PA they don’t know how to • do well at all • Image bank sub-study (in progress) highlights unmet need for images

7. Positive Youth Development & Nutrition Through Sports Funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

8. Background • Sports programs are major vehicles for incorporating messages related to positive youth development and adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors • Coaches, parents, & youth need adequate training to accept and foster these ideas • Participation in sports programs high • 33.7 million 5-17 yr olds participate in extracurricular sports • 75% of those in community-based programs

9. Objectives • Assess status of current programs for youth development/nutrition & health training for coaches/leaders implementing recreational youth sports programs • Variety of settings: after school programs, community based agencies, faith-based organizations, & individual leagues. • Document content of a select group of large scale, established coach training programs • Identify gaps in training initiatives for positive youth development, nutrition & health. • Very Preliminary Findings • Most coaches & directors have not had training in nutrition • Half of coaches have not had training in positive youth development • Receive “generic” child-work training instead • Most parents “not sure” of hydration & nutrition education practices of program

10. PAL Fit Cornell Cooperative Extension @ NYC & Police Athletic League

11. Background • Cornell University Cooperative Extension – NYC (CUCE-NYC) and the Police Athletic League (PAL) developed the PAL Fit pilot: • Introduce concepts of nutrition and fitness to youth at various PAL Recreation Centers in NYC. • Attempt to decrease the growth of overweight and obesity rates along with their resulting chronic diseases (i.e. diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, etc.) among youth. • 3-Day Fitness Regimen plus 1-Day Hands-on Nutrition Workshop • Weekly basis for 8 weeks • Currently 2 Phases Delivered: • PAL Fit I • PAL Fit II

12. PAL Fit I • Findings • Positive impact on youth participating in sessions • Challenges for staff to model behaviors that PAL Fit promotes • Challenges exist in running a structured program in traditionally less structured environment. • Need to re-evaluate PAL center environment to better understand how staff & facilities can contribute to PAL Fit message • Opportunities exist to increase buy-in for PAL Fit • Activities • Manhattan (1) • Spring 2004 delivered in 5 PAL Centers • Brooklyn (2) • Queens (1) • Bronx (1) • 187 youth age 10-13 • One-day orientation with PAL Staff • USDA Nutrition Workshops • Power of Choice • FitnessGram

13. PAL Fit II Activities • Planning Group Developed • Directors from PAL Centers • Nutrition & Health Community Educators • 8 EFNEP Workshops to PAL Staff • Spring 2005 in 2 PAL Centers • Manhattan • Bronx • 6-8 year olds • 8 Weeks of Nutrition & Fitness workshops • EFNEP 4H youth curriculum • FitnessGram • 10 Staff Members • 45 youth Evaluation currently underway

14. GoActive Girls To be submitted

15. Background • Adolescence intensifies complex relationship girls’ have with their bodies • Girls report more barriers to physical activity than boys • Social, Appearance & Access issues • Girls report less self-efficacy to overcome barriers • Sports beneficial to girls’ but does not appeal to all girls • Highly competitive • Access to nature bolsters children’s well-being

16. Objectives • Develop Girl-Specific Program • Outdoor Activities • Rock climbing • Hiking • Canoeing • Challenge course • Educational Activities • Promote regular PA • Goal-setting • Environmental Ed • Group Building • Adult Female Role Models • Logistics • Summer Program • 12 1/2 days • 12-20 girls (11-14 yrs old) • Conduct a Feasibility Trial • Outcomes • Participation & engagement • Logistics • Knowledge & attitudes • Methods • Focus Groups • Pre-post PA & Health Survey • Group Leader Journals

17. Mother/Daughter Physical Activity Promotion To be submitted

18. Background • Health promotion strategies should target women, both as individuals and as agents of change within the family • Understanding context of health behaviors within the female lifespan & what behaviors mean for women & girls is crucial for developing effective intervention strategies • Need to examine how mothers and daughters interact over health practices (PA) and how issues of control, conflict and closeness may encourage or discourage participation in healthy behaviors • Critical to examine these processes both within and across cultures

19. Objectives • 1.Identify salient values, beliefs, resources, barriers, practices, and behaviors around PA for urban women and adolescent girls; • 2.Identify environmental (home & community) strengths & challenges to PA for women & girls; • 3.Develop intervention and measurement protocols for mother-daughter PA promotion; • 4.Pilot-test intervention components and measures with urban mother/daughter dyads.