Rocky View Schools Healthy Eating Initiative

Making a Difference in Schools

January 27-28, 2012

Shaping the Futures Conference

Theresa McIsaac & Theresa Riege

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Overview

• Establishing Context: Your Experience with Policy Implementation

• Healthy Eating Environments in Schools Model

– Process for Development and Implementation in Rocky View Schools (RVS)

– School Level Implementation Plan

• Evaluation Results

– School Environment

– Student Behaviour

• Going Forward: Enhancing Your Work

• Questions

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Establishing the Context: Your Experiences

1. What is your setting doing around health policy (healthy eating, active living, mental wellbeing)?

2. What partnerships or engagement processes are used in this work?

3. What are the challenges your setting faces when developing and implementing health policy?

4. Have you used a framework or model in policy development and implementation? Which one and how has it been used? If you are not using a framework, what other processes do you use?

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The RVS Healthy Eating Initiative

• 3 Year Initiative (April 2006 to March 2009) + 1 Transition Year (April 2009 – June 2010)

• Initiative Goal to support student success by:• Promoting a healthy eating environment through an

integrated infrastructure of people and resources

• Key champions from the Rocky View Schools - Director of Collaborative Services; Community Partner Programs Coordinator

• Key champions from Alberta Health Services – Dietitian; Health Promotion Coordinator

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The RVS Healthy Eating Initiative

• The initiative achieved the following objectives:

– Identification of social and physical supports needed to promote and support healthy eating in schools

– Development of a systems model that can be applied to other health issues and used by other school divisions.

– Adoption and implementation of the RVS Healthy Eating Guidelines

– Evaluation of the change in the school environment and students’ attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour

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Overall Direction and

Support

Gain support & approval from division senior management

Form a division-wide Advisory

Committee

Consult across the

division

Develop or adapt guidelines & an

implementation plan

Healthy Eating Environments in Schools Systems Model

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• Consultations with schools within the division (March 2007)

• Administrators, teachers, PHNs, foodservice staff, 1 student

• Purpose – to inform, engage and learn, ascertain interest in a Division-wide Advisory Committee

• Outcomes – different priorities at different school levels

– Elementary – programs, student and parent education, events and available healthy food

– Middle – respect and equity; healthy environments; morning snack breaks; sense of urgency to “permit” schools to focus on healthy eating initiatives

– High – school environment, school culture, accessible healthy food choices, dining, vending, role of families

– RVS Health Promoting Schools Advisory Committee

RVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in ActionRVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in Action

Consult across the division

Division Advisory Committee

Support from Division Senior Administration

Cross-department support and collaboration

Develop and implement healthy eating guidelines

Sys

tem

s M

odel

Com

pone

nts

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• Formation of the RVS Health Promoting Schools Advisory Committee (May 2007):

– Healthy Eating Guidelines– RVS School Level Implementation Plan– RVS HEG Poster and Pamphlet

• The voice of HPS in RVS

• Purchasing Manager – RFP dining services, beverage and snack vending

• Staff Wellness Initiative – awareness and links

• Corporate Funding Opportunity

RVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in ActionRVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in Action

Consult across the division

Division Advisory Committee

Support from Division Senior Administration

Cross-department support and collaboration

Develop and implement healthy eating guidelines

Sys

tem

s M

odel

Com

pone

nts

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• Development and ratification of the RVS Healthy Eating Guidelines (June 2008)

• Ratified by the Senior Executive and Board of Trustees

• ANGCY released within same timeframe• ANGCY supports well used by RVS in

implementing their guidelines• RVS 3-year Strategic plan - Goal #1” - Enhance

student learning outcomes by addressing non-academic barriers to learning, (2008), integrated into curriculum and school based supports. Nutrition identified as a non-academic barrier

• School 1 year education plans now address nutrition

RVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in ActionRVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in Action

Consult across the division

Division Advisory Committee

Support from Division Senior Administration

Cross-department support and collaboration

Develop and implement healthy eating guidelines

Sys

tem

s M

odel

Com

pone

nts

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• School Assessment and Student Surveys (Sept 2007 to Dec 2008; May to June 2010)

• Baseline school assessment and student surveys completed between Fall 2007 and Fall 2008

• Post-implementation assessment and surveys completed Spring 2010

• 22 of 31 schools participated in the baseline and post-implementation assessments

• Student Surveys – Grades 7-12

• Reports – individual school, school-level composite and division composite

RVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in ActionRVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Collaboration in Action

Consult across the division

Division Advisory Committee

Support from Division Senior Administration

Cross-department support and collaboration

Develop and implement healthy eating guidelines

Sys

tem

s M

odel

Com

pone

nts

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Complete an assessment of your school’s eating

environment

Define your School Health Action Team’s

Vision

Monitor and evaluate changes

Develop and implement an

action plan

Form a School Health Action Committee and identify key champions

Choose a priority issue and consult with your school

community

Building Capacity for Health

School Level Implementation Plan

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• Improved variety and visibility of healthy choices in cafeterias

• Replaced regular pop with diet pop or limited choices in beverage vending machine to 100% juice and water.

• Decreased chips and candy in snack vending machines

• Started a milk program• Offered healthier side dishes with hot meal

entrées• Fewer food rewards in the classroom• Breakfast programs

Assess School Food Environment

Define school health vision

Key Champions & School Action Committee

Identify priority issue and consult with school

community

Develop and implement action plans

Sch

ool-L

evel

Impl

emen

tatio

n

Monitor, evaluate, and celebrate successes

RVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Different Implementation StrategiesRVS Healthy Eating Initiative: Different Implementation Strategies

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Evaluation Results: School Eating EnvironmentEvaluation Results: School Eating Environment

Elements of the School Food Environment

Schools reporting we’re there or nearly there

Change

Pre (2008) Post (2010)

Variety of healthy food choices (Are healthy food choices available at school?)

33% 64% 31%

Location of healthy food choices(Are healthy choices available at all food outlets/school events?)

27% 59% 32%

Timing of healthy food choices(Are healthy choices available at all meal and snack times?

36% 80% 48%

Rewards in the classroom(Do classroom rewards support healthy eating?)

63% 77% 14%

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Evaluation Results: School Eating EnvironmentEvaluation Results: School Eating Environment

Elements of the School Food Environment

Schools reporting we’re there or nearly there

Change

Pre (2008) Post (2010)

Pricing of healthy food choices (Are healthy food choices the same price or less expensive than less healthy choices?)

31% 24% 7%

Time and Space to Eat(Is adequate time and space available for students to eat lunch?)

100% 91% 9%

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Evaluation Results: Student’s Self-Reported Dietary IntakeEvaluation Results: Student’s Self-Reported Dietary Intake

Student reported dietary behaviour in the previous day

Pre (2008)

Post (2010)

P-value

Consumed vegetables and fruit 5 or more times

48.4% 51.0% 0.017

Consumed milk and yogurt 3 or more times

54.0% 57.7% 0.001

Did not consume any soda pop 48.6% 52.8% <0.001

Did not consume any fried potato products

46.3% 51.0% <0.001

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Evaluation Results: Student’s Self-Reported Attitudes Evaluation Results: Student’s Self-Reported Attitudes Toward Healthy EatingToward Healthy Eating

% of student who agreed or strongly agreed that…

Pre (2008)

Post (2010)

Change

It is important for them to have a healthy well balanced diet 60% 71% 11%

It is important for them to have daily, vigorous physical activity 54% 68% 14%

Healthy eating and active living are very important in my school 30% 55% 15%

They are somewhat or very knowledgeable about nutrition 85% 90% 5%

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Evaluation Results: Student Suggestions to Improve Evaluation Results: Student Suggestions to Improve Healthy Eating and Active Living Practices at SchoolHealthy Eating and Active Living Practices at School

• Add healthy food options to food services• Reduce the number of less healthy food options offered• Provide more physical activity opportunities• Promote healthy eating and active living• Lower the price on healthy options; raise the price of

less healthy foods• The school is already doing a good job• It is up to students to make healthy choices

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Focus interview findings• Systems approach started the conversations around creating healthy eating

environments; key champions at school and Division levels critical; Ongoing Collaboration of Health and Education essential.

• HPS Advisory Committee was forum for engagement; consistent messaging supportive of implementing change at the local level.

• Assessment and reports data spoke for themselves; The initiative created accountability; Create additional accountability beyond 1-year education plans.

• Division-wide with vendor was more coordinated; Strong enough policy needed to ensure vendors are willing to be engaged and supportive of change.

• Need to address finite resources – human and revenue streams.

• Ongoing communication, opportunities to share successes and challenges, resource identification and access, support from Health in key areas – granting writing, implementation, resources.

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LearningsLearnings

• Ongoing collaboration between Health and Education• School division key champion, support for both operations

and strategy. • Relationship building – stakeholder engagement • Alignment of timelines in two organizations • Integration of curriculum with broad-based comprehensive

school health approaches –embed work, do not “add-on”• Communication plan – all levels, within divisions, within

schools – timely and effective• Pre-service and in-service for all teachers – multiple modes of

learning • Meaningful and supported evaluation of programs and

outcomes

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Going Forward: Enhancing Your Work

• How could you apply this model to enhance the work you are doing?– Do you have any experience with this model or a similar

model? What was the experience like? – What are the implications of this model for your work? – What supports may be required for your work?– Who are your key stakeholders, partners? How can you

engage your stakeholders?– What facilitators or successes can you anticipate?– What barriers or challenges can you anticipate?– What might it take for your activities to be sustainable and

embedded in your setting culture and ethos?

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Large Group Discussion and Final Questions

Thank You!

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Contact Information

Theresa McIsaac

Healthy Promotion Coordinator

Phone: (403) 943-6778

Email: theresa.mcisaac@albertahealthservices.ca

Theresa Riege, RD

Dietitian, Nutrition Services, Population and Public Health

Phone: (403) 943-6772

Email: theresa.riege@albertahealthservices.ca