Funded Projects

The TEEN Project

Project Year

2023

City & State

Johnson City, Tennessee

Program Name

CATCH Implementation

Topic

Health Education & Prevention

Program Description

Problem: Tennessee ranks #5 for obesity in children 10-17 years of age with ~ 39% of students being classified as obese. It is estimated that ~ 80% of children who are overweight or obese at 10-15 years of age will be obese in adulthood. There are increasing numbers of obesity/lifestyle related issues in adolescents and even younger children such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, hypertension, hyperlipidemia. It is well established that lifestyle modification can prevent and/or reverse some of these conditions that will become chronic in adulthood. Primary setting and numbers: With basic education and skills, a difference is possible in the adolescent age group by empowering them to help their families and themselves make better choices as well as for them to encourage others to do the same. This project will collaborate with the Boys and Girls Club in Elizabethton, TN. There are typically ~ 20-25 teens aged 13-17 years enrolled in their program. The director suggests that these teens frequently are the main decision makers regarding what they and/or their younger siblings will eat. Goal and intervention: The goal is to work with these teens over 10 formal and 12 informal sessions in the "TEEN - Teen Education: Exercise/Nutrition" Project over the project year. Teens will benefit from hands on, interactive sessions. Session 1-2: These will be focus meetings with the teens to determine what they see as important lifestyle choices and what they perceive as the most limiting factors to making those choices. This will include a discussion as well as a baseline questionnaire to establish baseline data. Session 3-9 : There will be a total of 3 mobile kitchen sessions that will teach basic cooking skills to the teens while also teaching some easy, healthy, inexpensive meals to eat at home to avoid fast food and eating out. Grocery bags will be provided at each of the mobile kitchen sessions for them to make meal at home for their family. One additional session will include a trip to the local grocery store to teach about the importance of shopping and looking at labels. Teens will leave with grocery bag of "healthy" foods. This will also establish another important community partnership with the local grocery store. There will be 2 additional sessions that are trips to a local park for an hour of walking and will include education regarding the importance of physical activity. They will receive a "gift bag" that includes water, a healthy snack and incentive for ongoing exercise. All sessions will include discussion and planning to create a cookbook outlining some of the tools they have learned. The books will be distributed to the families at the Boys and Girls Club. This empowers the teens in that they will learn skills and then provide education to others which makes the program a more meaningful experience. Session 10: This will include other community leaders (school personnel, individuals from another nearby Boys and Girls Club) to learn about this project from the teens to encourage continued growth this project. Anticipated outcomes: A questionnaire will be completed at the end of the sessions about changes in what they feel is important and if they feel they have tools to overcome at least some of the limiting factors they identified initially. Anticipated outcome is improved understanding of what are important lifestyle choices are and a plan to overcome perceived barriers to these choices. Another anticipated outcome is a sense of accomplishment by the teens when they develop a cookbook to give to other families at the Boys and Girls Club.

Project Goal

Goal: Provide an interactive, fun 12 month program that works with the teens at the Boys and Girls Club in Elizabethton, TN to teach baseline skills and education to make better choices and address perceived limitations to making good choices.

Project Objective 1

Establish baseline data with the teens regarding understanding and perceived limitations to making good choices and then demonstrate improvement in this at the end of the program over the 12 month grant timeline.

Project Objective 2

Provide education that addresses the above through dedicated sessions including 3 mobile kitchen sessions, a trip to the grocery store and two one-hour excursions to the local park over the 12 months timeline.

Project Objective 3

Develop a cookbook with the teens to then distribute to families in their Boys and Girls Club including the things they have learned. This empowers them to take what they have learned and "pass it on."

AAP District

District IV

Institutional Name

East Tennesse State University Department of Pediatrics

Contact 1

Evelyn Artz