Summary
Authors: Lois Brink and Sandra Howard
Date: 2006
Purpose: This project was conducted for credit within the Urban Spatial Analysis course at the University of Colorado Denver Department of Urban and Regional Planning, under the guidance of Professor Yuk Lee.
Research Question: The goal of Partnership of Integrated Health Denver (PIH) is to create a whole health community-based advocacy model that eliminates redundancies among programs and develops strategies for increased community involvement. The partnership is comprised of Learning Landscapes, Healthy Eating by Design, Integrated Nutrition Program, Denver Urban Gardens, and Slow Food.
Funding Source: COPAN
Research Objectives
Objective 1: Conduct research to determine the scope of collaborative community based models.
Objective 2: Conduct a community-based program to evaluate whole school health policies that targets childhood physical activity, obesity, and nutrition. Objective 3: Conduct Focus Groups of students, their families, and teachers to determine a baseline assessment of needs and specific strategies for a whole health approach.
Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition Program
Study Area
The students and their families attending Philips Elementary School and the surrounding neighborhood participated in this study. The school has early childhood education through fifth grade. Before and after-school activities and a half-day Head Start class are offered at this school. Philips reaches children in the 3-12 year old range. he most important factor contributing to high levels of graffiti seem to be the economic conditions of the neighborhood. The statistical correlations of high counts of graffiti reports to high levels of poverty were found to be significant.
Advisory Committee
The advisory committee was formed to identify the specific steps for meeting the objectives proposed in the project plan for the Caring for Colorado grant. Members of this committee met several times and also provided information regarding the district, state, and national standards for physical activity with elementary school children.
- Lois Brink, M.L.A., Director Learning Landscapes, University of Colorado Denver
- Michael Buchenau, MLA, Director, Denver Urban Gardens
- Helen Thompson, Ph.D., Project Director, Healthy Eating by Design Denver, Health Sciences Center
- Cathy Romaniello, Ph.D., Director of Integrated Nutrition Program, Health Sciences Center
- Bridget Beatty, MPH, Director of Denver Public Schools Health and Nutrition Program
- Pamela Wridt, Ph.D., Research Associate, Center for Children, Youth and Environments, University of Colorado Denver
- Sandra L. Howard, Research Assistant Learning Landscapes, College of Architecture and Planning, University of Colorado Denver
Results
Strengthen food-shopping programs. Although some of the nutrition education programs for parents provide shopping tips and visits to markets, more emphasis is needed in this area to include affordable healthy food. [1]
Provide instruction and/or opportunities to engage parents in the benefits of physical activity. An increase in parent awareness of physical activity benefits may increase their awareness of nutrition and whole health. [2] Students participating in focus groups demonstrated working knowledge of nutrition education. Focus groups revealed that economic hardships create barriers to participation, and access to healthy food outside the school.Enhanced family efficacy in focus groups through giving them an opportunity to share their concerns. Continue to conduct focus groups incorporating community members to seek response from a broader constituency.
Limited buy in from neighborhood businesses surrounding the school present weak links toward building a collaborative community model.
Collaboration among all PIH partners was a positive approach with open and frequent communication among PIH partners. PIH partners shared resources but a longer program period is needed to effectively develop and execute an integrated model.
[1]PIH programs contribution: strengthen curriculum regarding affordable food options
[2]PIH program contributions: strengthen physical fitness activities to include family participation options
Full Report