An Examination Of Educators Perceptions Of The Schools Role In The Prevention Of Childhood Obesity

Author : Stephanie Lauren Dinner
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 126 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (623 download)

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Download or read book Childhood Obesity written by Stephanie Lauren Dinner and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Obesity is typically defined in terms of a person's Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of excess body fat, and is characterized by a BMI greater than or equal to the 95th percentile or having a BMI of 30.0 or higher. Existing research indicates that over the past 3 decades, the percentage of overweight school-age children has nearly quadrupled. From 1999 to 2000, more than 15% of youth ages 6-19 were obese, and more than 10% of children ages 2-5 were obese. Studies have shown that obesity is related to a variety of medical and social-emotional problems which may continue through adulthood. In light of existing research, it appears that childhood obesity is a pressing issue that ought to be addressed by schools. Schools offer food services, physical education, and after-school care and have accepted some responsibility for nutrition and physical education. Furthermore, in contrast to clinical programs, school programs can be delivered at little or no cost to families and can reach low income children who otherwise may not receive treatment. The school environment is also optimal because large numbers of children can be targeted in a cost-effective manner, and instruction is a natural part of the school day. Within the school setting, school psychologists' training and guidelines for practice make them excellent candidates for taking a leading role in preventing and combating obesity. The present study sought to identify the attitudes and perceptions of school psychologists in Ohio regarding their role in dealing with childhood obesity. A 19-question survey, along with a cover letter, was mailed to 147 randomly selected, Nationally Certified School Psychologists (NCSP) in Ohio. Some survey items were phrased as questions that are answered according to a Likert-type scale ranging from "not at all" to "a great deal." Other questions provided a list of responses and required that participants circle all applicable responses. Following the survey questions, participants were given space to provide additional comments. Following a first and second mailing, 107 completed surveys were received, resulting in a return rate of 72.8%. Analysis of the data involved comparing the frequencies and percentages of the responses provided by participants. Over half (58.9%) of participants reported that they have not been involved in obesity-related work. When asked to indicate which individual(s) should be responsible for dealing with childhood obesity, over half (59.8%) indicated that school psychologists should be responsible. In addition, when asked to indicate the extent to which obesity issues should be handled by school psychologists, the majority of participants (68.2%) selected the response "to some extent." Additional comments provided by participants were also reviewed and summarized. Based on the data gathered in the present study, it was concluded that the majority of school psychologists believe that they should be involved in dealing with childhood obesity; yet the majority are not involved in obesity-related work. Future studies may further investigate the barriers to school psychologists' involvement and identify means of achieving more involvement among school psychologists. The effectiveness of obesity-related work by school psychologists should also be determined.