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Two research projects that fall within the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Well-being of the University of Pretoria. Both projects involve interdisciplinary, inter-institutional school-based intervention research, with social change and development as potential long-term outcome. The broad aim of the two intervention studies is centred on the general health and wellbeing of resource-constrained communities, more specifically by addressing the nutrition-related practices, physical health and socio-emotional functioning of primary school children by means of school-based interventions. In addition, activities are included that may potentially promote the health and wellbeing of the participating children’s parents and the vulnerable communities they reside in. The underlying proposition is that improved health and wellbeing in poor communities may result in positive social change and development, if change is facilitated from within, when utilising schools as avenues into communities.
The first project commenced in 2012, in three township schools in the Bronkhorstspruit area, involving Grade 4 to 6 learners (n=1465) and the teachers responsible for the Life Skills and Natural Sciences subjects. For this project, the guiding research question is: How can enriched school curricula promote healthy eating habits, positive lifestyle behaviour and the general well-being of Grade 4 to 6 learners and their families?
The second project followed on the initial research study and involves a partnership with Fordham University, New York City USA. Research commenced in 2014, and entails an intervention study in two primary schools in the greater Tshwane region with Grade 1 to 3 learners (n=330), as well as two schools in the Bronx (NYC) with 1st to 3rd grade learners (n=240). The guiding research question for this study is: How can a school-based health promotion intervention support the health and wellbeing of resource-constrained communities?
For both projects, an initial assessment of learners’ health and wellbeing was conducted, providing baseline data for the development and implementation of the two school-based interventions. These interventions were developed in a participatory manner, involving teachers and parents of the respective communities. In Bronkhorstspruit, teachers were trained to implement the intervention (Win-LIFE intervention – Wellness in Lifestyle, Intake, Fitness and Environment) with the Grade 4 to 6 learners as part of the Life Skills and Natural Sciences curricula. The intervention was repeated by the research team during a follow-up phase of the project. In the two schools in Tshwane, the research team and postgraduate students took responsibility for implementing the intervention. In the Bronx (NYC) the research team, postgraduate students and teachers collaborated in implementing the intervention. The current focus for both projects falls on monitoring and evaluation, conducting post-intervention assessments at 6 and 12-month intervals.
These two projects aim to address an international need for ongoing research in this field of interest. Nations across the globe have been mobilising a number of strategies in striving towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, specifically in relation to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger (MDG1). Building on the MDGs, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to address the root causes of poverty and the universal need of supporting the development of all people. In line with this drive, our research aims to investigate how health promotion interventions may promote healthy living, more specifically in terms of healthy eating, physical fitness and psycho-social wellbeing. As such, the focus falls on holistic child functioning, as the various components of child development are interrelated and reciprocally impact each other. A physically healthy child will, for example, most probably experience him/herself in a positive light (psycho-social functioning), which in turn should positively impact on scholastic performance and the motivation to succeed in life. To this end both interventions have focused on informing child-participants’ behaviour, in an attempt to promote healthy nutrition and dietary patterns in order to combat underweight, overweight and obesity; support a healthy lifestyle and physical performance in terms of health-related fitness, skills-related fitness and metabolic fitness; and promote psycho-social wellbeing and the motivation to excel. Besides activity-based classroom activities, the interventions involve home-based activities which have been developed to include collaborative activities between child-participants and their parents. The possibility of enhancing holistic wellbeing among primary school children who face vulnerability due to poverty and related risk factors implies the potential secondary outcome of changed lifestyle patterns amongst children and perhaps their families.
The relevant health promotion interventions have been implemented in the various stipulated schools. Post-intervention data indicate an increased awareness among the child-participants about healthy eating and suitable dietary patterns. Their knowledge about nutrition, food choice, portion sizes and the food pyramid seemingly increased as a result of their participation in the project. In addition to the child-participants gaining information on healthy dietary practices and food consumption behaviour, they reportedly started applying what they had gained in terms of their own lifestyle practices. Preliminary results furthermore indicate that the child-participants also conveyed some messages about healthy eating and food consumption practices to their parents. Parents have as a result apparently become more aware of healthy eating habits and started questioning the food and nutrition-related choices they have been making.
In terms of physical performance and a healthy lifestyle, findings indicate an increase in child-participants’ levels of fitness. In addition to the improvement indicated when comparing pre- and post-intervention data, both teachers and parents were of the opinion that child-participants had displayed heightened awareness concerning the importance of exercise and physical fitness following their participation in the intervention. According to the teachers, child-participants increasingly started to compare themselves with their peers, which in turn motivated them to increasingly improve their own performance. In both projects the need for more regular parent guidance sessions were emphasised by both parents and teachers involved. Parents valued the guidance provided to them during parent sessions yet voiced the need for more regular involvement and guidance, more specifically in terms of healthy eating habits and dietary patterns.
Discussions are currently underway with co-researchers at Fordham University (NYC) concerning the next phase of the existing projects. Continued funding opportunities are being explored with the aim to continue with the project in 2017 and onwards. For the follow-up phase the following aspects have been prioritised:
Four colleagues at Fordham University, New York City USA.
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