Page Contents
Overview
Target Behavior: Healthy Eating, Physical Activity
Intervention Type: Direct Education, PSE Change
Intervention Reach and Adoption
Setting: School
Target Audience: Elementary School
Race/Ethnicity: All
Intervention Components
- Nutrition education and promotion: Development and implementation of a nutrition education curriculum (Discovering Healthy Choices, adapted from the Nutrition to Grow curriculum), cooking demonstrations (Cooking Up Healthy Choices), physical activity education (Healthy Choices in Motion), and instructional school gardens.
- Family and community partnerships: Using promotional and reinforcing materials like family newsletters. Newsletters (Team Up for Families and the newly developed Healthy Choices at Home) had 8 lessons to reinforce SHCP components, and at least 1 health fair is held at each intervention school.
- Foods available on school campus: Increasing healthy foods available in schools by creating/promoting salad bars and sourcing local, healthy foods to include on menus.
- School wellness policy: Establish a school wellness committee including school staff, parents, and community members to guide program planning, implementation, and sustainability.
*It should be noted that the Best Practices manual indicates the 4 program components above, while the Methods publication indicates an additional component: Supporting Regional Agriculture.
Intervention Materials
- SHCP in Action Best Practices Guide: https://cns.ucdavis.edu/content/shcp/bestpractices/bestpractices.pdf
- Cooking Up Health Choices Curriculum: https://cns.ucdavis.edu/content/shcp/cooking/cooking_up_healthy_choices.pdf
- Discovering Healthy Choices Curriculum: https://cns.ucdavis.edu/programs/shcp/curriculum.html
- Team Up for Families Newsletters: https://cns.ucdavis.edu/programs/shcp/newsletter.html
- Healthy Choices in Motion Curriculum: https://cns.ucdavis.edu/resources/classroom/healthy-choices-in-motion
- Healthy Choices at Home Newsletters: https://cns.ucdavis.edu/programs/shcp/newsletter
Intervention Costs
Evidence Summary
Potential Benefits for Students
- Increases nutrition knowledge and use of critical thinking skills
- Improves dietary patterns and physical activity
- Improves overall health
Potential Benefits for Schools
- Helps fulfill federally mandated district wellness policies
- Adheres to Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards
- Assists with the fulfillment of HealthierUS School Challenge requirements
Additional Publications and Reports:
- Fetter, DS, Linnell, JD, Dharmar, M, Bergman, JJ, Byrnes, M, Gerdes, M, Ruiz, LD, Pang, N, Lawry-Hall, S, Pressman, J, Chapman, J, and Scherr, RE. Using Theory to Develop Healthy Choices in Motion, an Experiential Physical Activity Curriculum. Frontiers in Public Health Education and Promotion. In Press.
- Ruiz, LD, Brian, KM, Scherr, RE. Lessons Learned: Implementing the Shaping Healthy Choices Program using Teenagers as Teachers. Journal of Youth Development. Journal of Youth Development. In Press.
- Fetter, DS, Scherr, RE, Linnell, JD, Dharmar, M, Schaefer, SE, and Zidenberg-Cherr, S. Effect of the Shaping Healthy Choices Program, a Multi-Component, School-Based Nutrition Intervention, on Physical Activity Intensity. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2018.1436477.
- Bergman, JJ, Linnell, JD, Scherr, RE, Ginsburg, DC, Brian, KM, Carter, R, Donohue, SS, Klisch, S, Lawry-Hall, S, Pressman, J, Soule, K, and Zidenberg-Cherr, S. Feasibility of Implementing a School Nutrition Intervention That Addresses Policies, Systems, and Environment. Journal of Extension. 2018. 56(1): 1FEA6.
- Linnell, JD, Smith, MH, Briggs, M, Scherr, RE, Brian, KM, and Zidenberg-Cherr, S. Building the Capacity of Classroom Teachers as Extenders of Nutrition Education through Extension: Evaluating a Professional Development Model. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. 2018. 6(1): 58-75.
- Taylor, JC, Scherr, RE, Linnell, JD, Feenstra, G, and Zidenberg-Cherr, S. Impact of a multi-component, school-based nutrition intervention on students’ lunchtime fruit and vegetable availability consumption: a randomized-trial of the Shaping Healthy Choices Program. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. (2017): 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2017.1374899§
- Scherr, R.E., Dharmar, M. Linnell, J., Smith, M.H., Briggs, M., Bergman, J., Brian, K., Feenstra, G., Hillhouse, J.C., Keen, C.L., Beccarelli, L.M., Ontai, L.L., Schaefer, S.E., Spezzano, T., Steinberg, F.M, Sutter, C., Young, H.M., and Zidenberg-Cherr, S. A Multicomponent, School-Based Intervention, the Shaping Healthy Choices Program, Improves Nutrition-Related Outcomes. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2017. 49(5)368-379.e1. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2016.12.007
- Linnell, JD, Smith, MH, Briggs, M, Brian, KM, Scherr, RE, Dharmar, M, and Zidenberg-Cherr, S. Evaluating the relationships between teacher characteristics, implementation factors, and student outcomes among children participating in an experiential school-based program. Pedagogy in Health Promotion. 2016. DOI: 10.1177/2373379916649603
- Scherr RE, Linnell JD, Smith MH, et al. The Shaping Healthy Choices Program: Design and Implementation Methodologies for a Multicomponent, School-Based Nutrition Education Intervention. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2014;46(6):e13-e21.
- Linnell JD, Zidenberg-Cherr S, Briggs M, Scherr RE, Brian KM, Hillhouse C, Smith MH. Using a Systematic Approach and Theoretical Framework to Design a Curriculum for the Shaping Healthy Choices J Nutr Educ Behav. 2016 Jan;48(1):60-9.
Classification: Research-tested
Evaluation Indicators
Readiness and Capacity – Short Term (ST) | Changes – Medium Term (MT) | Effectiveness and Maintenance – Long Term (LT) | Population Results (R) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Individual | ST1, ST3 | MT1, MT2 | LT1, LT3 | |
Environmental Settings | ST5, ST6, ST7 | MT5, MT6 | LT5, LT6, LT10 | |
Sectors of Influence | MT9 |
Evaluation Materials
Citations for all the evaluations measures are available in the methods paper listed in the evidence summary. Evaluation materials will be provided upon request.
Success Story
https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/success-stories/school-health-check
Additional Information
Contact Person(s):
Center for Nutrition in Schools
Nutrition Department, University of California, Davis
(530) 752-4630
cns@ucdavis.edu