Evaluation Proposal: The Harlem Healthy Eating Program Monday April 30, 2007 Suzanne E. Bonfiglio, Katherine Brethel, John Ivers Jr.,Charlotte Martin, Shivani Patel

Presenting Community Problem: Obesity One in 3 adults in East Harlem is obese (55% higher than New York City overall), and 48% of East Harlem residents report not exercising at all (NYC Health, 2006).

Problem (cont’d) Overweight children with at least one overweight or obese parent were reported to have a 79% likelihood of being overweight as adults (American Obesity Association, 2005).

Problem (cont’d) Harlem residents are the least likely NYC residents to have primary care physicians. Health access barriers such as this reduce children’s chances of academic success and physical and emotional health (Children’s Health Fund, 2006).

Program Mission The Harlem Healthy Eating Program will provide a broad range of nutrition and fitness services to 4th and 5th grade students’ families in the hopes that children and families will learn about and ultimately adopt healthy eating behaviors and overall healthy lifestyles.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders (cont’d)

Stakeholders (cont’d)

Contributors/Advisors Families and community members. American Obesity Association-funded Nutritionists, Trainers, Nurses and Registered Dietitians. Harlem School District. Local businesspeople.

The Program Nutrition and fitness curriculum (including: affordable grocery shopping; accessible exercise; culturally-relevant meal options). Family cooking classes. Multicultural meals/recipes. Daily eating journals. Monthly community meetings. Local business participation (sporting goods; grocery stores; parks and recreation).

Evaluation Approach We are adopting Chatterji’s ETMM approach: combining process and outcomes evaluations across and after the course of the program; keeping in close contact with the subject community; collaborating with all stakeholders.

Data Collection/Analysis Pre and post-testing for nutrition knowledge. Pre, ongoing, and post testing of students’ BMIs. Daily journals are monitored weekly. Monthly community meetings facilitate feedback and gauge program’s impact.

Reporting Mechanisms Student meal cards monitor daily cafeteria purchases. (Program trainers) Student attendance. (Administrators) Report cards. (Teachers) BMI measures. (Nurses, RDs) Family feedback. (Families)

Process Objectives 50% of participating 4th and 5th graders will exchange two unhealthy snacks per week for two healthier options. This 50% will receive a monthly prize that can be redeemed at participating local businesses.

Process Objectives (cont’d) 100% of participating students will receive in-school access to the HHEP curriculum. Each week, 75% of participating students will hand in guardian-signed food journals. After 6 months in the program, 50% of students will exchange two unhealthy snacks for healthier ones each week.

Process Objectives (cont’d) Over the course of one school year, 50% of participating students’ guardians will attend at least one monthly educational community-building meeting.

Outcome Objectives After a full academic year, 75% of program participants will be consistently making two healthy snack choices each week. By the end of one school year, 20% of children in the high BMI group will lower their BMI ratio at least .5 points.

Long-Term Impact Children will make healthy eating choices at home and in school. Overweight and obese students and families will lose weight and maintain healthier BMIs. Families will have greater health and energy. Parents and children will spend time together creating and enjoying healthy meals. Future improved health and wellness.

References American Obesity Association. (2006). Retrieved on April 25, 2007 from http://www.obesity.org/subs/fastfacts/obesity_youth.shtml. Chatterji, M., Kwon, Y.A., & Sng, C. (2006). Gathering evidence on an after- school supplemental instruction program: Design challenges and early findings in light of NCLB. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 14(12). Children’s Health Fund. (2006) Health status if Harlem’s children: Improving, but lagging far behind the rest of the city. NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Community Health. (2006). Take care East Harlem. Second Edition.