Evaluation of a Daily Activity Program for Early School-Age Children in a Rural Setting

Abstract

Background: Obesity is greatly impacting people, adults and children, in the United States (U.S.). Approximately 17% of children ages six to 11 years old in the U.S. are obese. Obesity puts children at increased risks of physiological and psychological conditions in childhood and into adulthood. Montana youth are more overweight or obese than the national average of 17%. Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to determine if a structured activity program (i.e., The Daily Mile program) could be implemented in the first thru third grade classrooms of two Montana schools. Methods: The Daily Mile program was introduced to two schools via PowerPoint presentations. Six classrooms implemented the program for a minimum of eight weeks. Teachers kept a daily log and participated in two surveys: initial and follow-up. School administrators were sent an additional survey. Results: Six teachers and two school administrators at two schools participated in this DNP project. The majority (83.3%) of the teachers agreed with the program evaluation statements during the initial teacher survey. Per the daily logs, teachers reported completing The Daily Mile 49% of the school days during the implementation period. All the teachers expressed an intent to continue to The Daily Mile program in their classrooms. Four teachers participated in the follow-up survey reporting they continued to utilize the program zero to three days per week. Three themes were identified during this project: program support, teachers’ feedback on students’ participation, and barriers. Administrators agreed that schools can participate in the obesity prevention. Additionally, both reported the resources needed for this program were reasonable and a wish to see the program continue in their schools. Discussion: The projects’ results were similar to what has been found in the literature about school-based obesity prevention programs. Stakeholders support these types of programs in schools. However, barriers (i.e., time constraints) exist making it difficult to implement in an educational setting. More research is needed to evaluate The Daily Mile program’s impact on the rate of childhood obesity.