Abstract
Citation
Edmundson E, Parcel GS, Feldman HA, Elder J, Perry CL, Johnson CC, Williston BJ, Stone EJ, Yang M, Lytle L, Webber L. The effects of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health upon psychosocial determinants of diet and physical activity behavior. Prev Med 1996 Jul-Aug;25(4):442-54.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health is a multisite study of a school-based intervention to reduce or prevent the development of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this paper is to present the evaluation results of the 3-year intervention, focusing upon the psychosocial variables conceptualized as determinants of dietary and physical activity behaviors. METHODS: A total of 96 schools across four study sites (California, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Texas) were randomized to two treatment conditions: intervention and control. Pre- and postmeasurements on the health behavior questionnaire were collected from over 6,000 students. The data analyses utilized a nested design approach in which schools served as the primary unit of analysis. Repeated-measures multivariate analyses were applied to investigate effect sizes for each determinant and to explore theoretical relationships among the determinants over time. RESULTS: The findings indicated sustained significant effects in improved knowledge, intentions, self-efficacy, usual behavior, and perceived social reinforcement for healthy food choices (P < 0.0001 for these five variables) after 3 years. Intermittent effects were observed for perceived support and self-efficacy for physical activity. No gender by determinant interaction effects were observed, and girls reported significantly greater perceived reinforcement for healthy eating than did boys. CONCLUSION: The CATCH program was effective in changing the psychosocial variables likely to influence a reduction in behavior for cardiovascular disease. The study is significant in that it demonstrates the viability and effectiveness of a sustained multifaceted intervention in a preadolescent population. The results point to a need for greater understanding of adolescent developmental issues and the role of community environment (particularly social support) in creating effective curricula.
Full Text
The full text is available at https://dx.doi.org/10.1006/pmed.1996.0076
At A Glance
Individual Dietary Behavior Variables
| Intake |
|---|
| Preferred food choices |
Individual Physical Activity Behavior Variables
| Behavior |
|---|
| Physical activity self-efficacy |
Domain(s)
Individual Dietary Behavior
Individual Physical Activity Behavior
Measure Type
Questionnaire
Measure Availability
Not reported
Number of Items
94 Reported
Study location
Not Reported
California, Minnesota, Louisiana, Texas, USA
Languages
English
Spanish
Information about Development of Measure
The Health Behavior Questionnaire (HBQ) was developed and piloted during Phase I of The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health to measure psycho-social constructs related to diet, physical activity, and intentions to smoke among elementary schoolchildren. The constructs measured are behaviors, and the scales used are based on Social Cognitive Theory, some of which have been used in previous work.
Study Design
Study Participants
Age
6 - 11 Years
Sex
Female
Male
Race/Ethnicity
Hispanic
White
Black/African American
Predominantly Low-income/Low-SES
Not reported
Sample Size
7795
Study Design
Design Type
Correlational/Observational
Impact/Effectiveness
Health Outcomes Assessed
Dietary intake/behavior
Physical activity/inactivity
Obesity Measures
Not reported
BMI Measured or Self-reported
Not reported
Covariates
Knowledge
Psychological factors (e.g., self-efficacy, beliefs, preferences)
Social influence (e.g., parent modeling)
Data Reported on Race/Ethnicity
Quantitative data on study sample
Data Reported on SES
Not applicable
SES-related Variables
Not applicable
How To Use
Administration
Who Administered
Self-administered
Researcher-administered
How Administered
In-person
Time Required
30 to 40 minutes
Training Required
Yes, time not reported
Instructions on Use
Instructions on instrument use included in article
Data Analysis
Data Collection/Analysis Costs
Not reported
Data Collection/Protocol
The Health Behavior Questionnaire (HBQ) was administered twice, at the beginning and at the end of the third grade year in a group of children taking part in a school-based intervention. Questionnaires were also distributed during the next two years during a regular class period. Evaluation staff administered the questionnaires. The HBQ was read aloud while the students followed and recorded responses onto their copies of the questionnaire. A second staff person proctored the survey by walking around answering questions from the children.
Instructions on Data Analysis
Instructions on analysis included in article
Validity (0)
There are no validity tests reported for this measure.
Reliability (0)
There are no reliability tests reported for this measure.