Nutrition and Physical Education Policy and Practice in Pacific Region Secondary Schools

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Nutrition and Physical Education Policy and Practice in Pacific Region Secondary Schools ISSUES& ANSWERS REL 2012–No. 117 Nutrition At Pacific Resources for and physical Education and Learning education policy and practice in Pacific Region secondary schools ISSUES&ANSWERS REL 2012–No. 117 At Pacific Resources for Education and Learning Nutrition and physical education policy and practice in Pacific Region secondary schools November 2011 Prepared by Melly Wilson Pacific Resources for Education and Learning Lance Linke Yale University Mathew Bellhouse-King Pacific Resources for Education and Learning Malkeet Singh Pacific Resources for Education and Learning WA ME MT ND VT MN OR NH ID SD WI NY MI WY IA PA NE NV OH IL IN UT WV CA CO VA KS MO KY NC TN AZ OK NM AR SC GA MS AL LA TX AK FL HI At Pacific Resources for Education and Learning Issues & Answers is an ongoing series of reports from short-term Fast Response Projects conducted by the regional educa- tional laboratories on current education issues of importance at local, state, and regional levels. Fast Response Project topics change to reflect new issues, as identified through lab outreach and requests for assistance from policymakers and educa- tors at state and local levels and from communities, businesses, parents, families, and youth. All Issues & Answers reports meet Institute of Education Sciences standards for scientifically valid research. November 2011 This report was prepared for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) under Contract ED-06-CO-0024 by Regional Educa- tional Laboratory Pacific administered by Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. The content of the publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of IES or the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. This report is in the public domain. While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, it should be cited as: Wilson, M., Linke, L, Bellhouse-King, M, and Singh, M. (2011). Nutrition and physical education policy and practice in Pa- cific Region secondary schools. (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2012–No. 117). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Educa- tion, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educa- tional Laboratory Pacific. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs. This report is available on the regional educational laboratory web site at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs. Summary REL 2012–No. 117 Nutrition and physical education policy and practice in Pacific Region secondary schools The report describes the percentage of Symons, and Pateman 2007). Poor dietary secondary schools that have adopted habits during childhood and adolescence policies and practices for student well- also increase the risk of disease, unhealthy ness, physical education, food service, behaviors associated with weight gain during and nutrition education across the seven adulthood, adult overweight or obesity, and jurisdictions in the Pacific Region. Poli- aberrant emotional and cognitive development cies include providing professional devel- (World Health Organization 2000; Lin, Guth- opment for lead health education teach- rie, and Frazao 2001; Telljohnann, Symons, and ers, developing strategies to promote Pateman 2007). Without a positive change in healthy eating, forming a health council, dietary and physical activity patterns, child- and providing or prohibiting certain hood obesity can lead to the early onset of foods. Practices include requiring nutri- life-threatening medical conditions, including tion and physical education courses, and diabetes, heart disease, and cancer (World assessing physical activity or nutrition, Health Organization 2011). and encouraging family and community involvement in health topics. Healthy eating and physical exercise are crucial for proper emotional and cognitive Obesity is a physically and emotionally debili- development in children and adolescents. tating condition that profoundly affects public Two main reasons for the rise in obesity over health and education systems. According to the the past few decades are change in diets and World Health Organization (WHO), there are decline in physical activity. Food portion sizes 1.5 billion overweight adults in the world, with have increased, sugary drinks and foods high more than 200 million men and nearly 300 in saturated fats are more common, and young million women defined as obese (World Health people are less active on average (Ogden et al. Organization 2011).1 The global prevalence of 2002; Ogden et al. 2006). obesity in children, defined as being at or above the 95th percentile of body mass index for age Federal and state health education programs and gender, has nearly quadrupled over the are one of the primary means of relaying fitness past 30 years. Overweight children experience and nutrition information to children (Barton cardiovascular risk factors, such as elevated and Coley 2009). This information is transmit- blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or triglyc- ted through nutrition education; physical edu- erides, and high insulin levels (Telljohnann, cation and opportunities for physical activity; iv SUMMARY school nutrition policies that govern school • What percentage of secondary schools lunch, breakfast, and snack nutrition content; in the seven Pacific Region jurisdictions and funding or support for school-based activi- teach a required health education or physi- ties to promote student health and wellness. cal education course? Legislating new programs, promulgating food service provider regulations, and developing • What percentage of lead health education standards for state education agency teachers teachers in secondary schools in the seven and staff have affected nutrition and physical Pacific Region jurisdictions are offered education policies in recent decades. professional development in nutrition and dietary behavior or physical activity Increasing concerns about health issues and di- and fitness? What percentage of physical etary considerations in the Pacific Region reveal education teachers are certified? a need to study education programs that dissem- inate information about health, physical activity, • What percentage of secondary schools and nutrition. Recent WHO data show that 7 of in the seven Pacific Region jurisdictions the 10 countries with the highest prevalence of offer certain types of healthy or unhealthy overweight people are Pacific Island nations, and foods for purchase? the WHO cautions that children in these nation- states are at increased risk of developing Type 2 • What percentage of secondary schools diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases in the seven Pacific Region jurisdictions (World Health Organization 2010, 2011).2 implement specific strategies to promote healthy eating? This study responds to regional requests for information on health issues and dietary con- • What percentage of secondary schools in siderations in the Pacific Region by providing the seven Pacific Region jurisdictions have relevant statistics and references to health educa- some type of health council? tion programs, policies, and practices in second- ary schools3 in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, • What percentage of secondary schools the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana in the seven Pacific Region jurisdictions Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the encourage family and community involve- Federated States of Micronesia (Pohnpei, Kosrae, ment in health topics? Chuuk, and Yap), and the Republic of Palau.4 • What percentage of secondary schools This study is guided by eight research in the Pacific Region use some type of questions: evaluation instrument to assess physical activity or nutrition? • What are the current policies for student wellness, physical education, food ser- Key findings include: vice, and nutrition education in second- ary schools in the seven Pacific Region • The most common nutrition and physical jurisdictions? education policies in secondary schools in SUMMARY v the seven Pacific Region jurisdictions are in school buildings, on school grounds, physical education curriculum standards on school buses or other vehicles used to (six jurisdictions), student wellness poli- transport students, in school publications, cies (five jurisdictions), and school foods and through sponsorship of school events policy (five jurisdictions). on school premises. • Fewer than half the jurisdictions have • Across the Pacific Region, 83 percent of nutrition education curriculum standards, secondary schools have someone who provide nutrient content for school meals oversees or coordinates school health and to students and parents, or require physi- safety programs. cal education in every grade. Only one jurisdiction, Hawaii, has a nutrition or • Approximately 83 percent of second- health advisory council. ary schools in the Republic of Palau help students’ families develop or implement • American Samoa is the only jurisdiction policies and programs related to physical that reported 100 percent of secondary activity and nutrition and healthy eating, schools requiring a health education while 24 percent of secondary schools course in grades 6–12, and the Republic of in Hawaii and 18 percent of secondary Palau is the only jurisdiction that reported schools in Guam do. requiring a physical education course in all secondary schools in grades 6–12. • The Commonwealth of the Northern Mari- ana Islands and the Republic of Palau are • All jurisdictions reported that more than the only
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