ERIC Number: EJ1214487
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Jun
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-4391
EISSN: N/A
School Wellness in Wisconsin: Evaluating Policies for Practices to Prevent Pediatric Obesity
Weymouth, Lindsay; Joyner, Hilary; Skalitzky, Erin; Cotter, Avery; Engstrom, Kellyn; Jorgensen, Lauren
Journal of School Health, v89 n6 p503-511 Jun 2019
Background: We examined written language in Wisconsin school wellness policies (SWPs) for federal mandate compliance, quality related to obesity prevention, and school characteristics associated with variations in quality. This is the first near census of Wisconsin SWPs and examines whether adhering to federal mandates results in strong policies aimed at preventing pediatric obesity. Methods: Policies were coded using the WellSAT 2.0. Policy quality was computed as comprehensiveness and strength based on 6 subscales and 2 overall scores. Variations in policy quality were examined by district size, free/reduced lunch percentage, and year of last revision. Results: We received SWPs from 91% of districts. Six of the 8 federal mandates were addressed by the majority of districts, although less than one fourth addressed all. Most comprehensiveness scores were weak to moderate, and strength scores were weak. All school characteristics were significantly related to overall policy quality; effect sizes were small. Conclusions: Our results confirm the necessity of statewide focus on SWP improvement and suggest that while districts may be meeting federal mandates related to pediatric obesity, few policies include health promotion practices beyond those required. Policies remain fragmented and lack focus on obesity prevention practices; we identify modifiable areas for improvement.
Descriptors: School Policy, Wellness, Obesity, Prevention, Health Promotion, Federal Legislation, School Districts, Child Health, Board of Education Policy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Wisconsin
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A