Impact of the Growing Healthy Curriculum on Health Promotion Behaviors of South Dakota Children

Comprehensive school health education has been identified as an essential mechanism for providing children with knowledge and skills necessary for development of healthy lifestyles which may continue into adulthood. Approximately one-half of public, private, and governmental agency school districts within South Dakota have implemented Growing Healthy, a comprehensive school health education curriculum. This research evaluated the impact of Growing Healthy on the health promotion behaviors of fourth grade students in South Dakota. The self-report questionnaire "How Often Do You" (Stember, 1984) was utilized to assess frequency of selected behaviors in 116 fourth grade students enrolled in schools implementing Growing Healthy and 102 fourth grade students enrolled in schools not implementing Growing Healthy. Results indicated Growing Healthy students engaged in only two of thirty-six behaviors assessed with statistically significant increased frequencies. Mean frequencies of positive behaviors were higher for non- Growing Healthy students in 23 of the 36 behaviors. Female students reported higher frequencies than males in 33 of the 36 behaviors.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - University Access Only

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Graduate Nursing

Year

1994

Author dc:creator

• Feller, Lisa M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Margaret Hegge

• health behavior in South Dakota children
• health education
• South Dakota elementary curricula
• health promotion
• Nursing

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 1994 Lisa Feller. All rights reserved

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/720

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-1720