Topic: Obesity, Nutrition/Diet, Physical Activity
Target Population: Adolescents, Middle Childhood
Sector: School-Based
This program is for children in 6th to 8th grade who are at high risk for Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
The HEALTHY Program, a multi-component school-based program, is designed to improve the school’s food environment, increase physical activity opportunities for youth, provide education on behavior change for a healthy lifestyle, and motivate students to adopt healthier choices through social marketing.
A large randomized controlled trial involving 42 middle schools found that the intervention group, as a whole, experienced a slight reduction in weight status (Body Mass Index z-score), the prevalence of high waist-circumference values, and fasting insulin as compared to the control group. The high-risk portion of the intervention group also had a reduction in the rate of obesity as compared to the control group. These improvements were modest, but the study targeted schools with high rates of overweight, obesity, and poverty.
The HEALTHY Program is a school-based intervention with four primary components:
In the primary research study of this program, students participated in the program from the start of 6th grade until the end of 8th grade. Booster activities were provided to keep students motivated during summer and winter breaks.
The HEALTHY Program Study included over 4,000 children from seven sites across the country. The schools served populations with low-income and minority groups (i.e., Hispanic and African American) in which approximately 50% of participants were overweight or obese.
No training is required or available. Teaching manuals are available for free online.
Considerations for implementing this program include acquiring buy-in and support from school staff (i.e., administrators, classroom teachers, Physical Education teachers, specials teachers, and food service employees), making time for extensive planning, finding locations to engage in activities, and purchasing and creating incentive items.
The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
If you are interested in implementing The HEALTHY Program, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you! Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Weekly behavioral modification lessons last for 30 minutes. At least 150 minutes of physical activity in Physical Education classes are provided over a 2-week period.
Information on implementation costs was not located. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.
To move The HEALTHY Program to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence at least one external evaluation must be conducted that demonstrates sustained, positive outcomes. This study must be conducted independently of the program developer.
The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu
You may also contact Dr. Gary Foster by email gary.foster@weightwatchers.com
http://healthystudy.org/index.htm (This website no longer contains program information) and https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/intervention-lowered-obesity-rate-youth-high-diabetes-risk-healthy-study-finds
Foster, G. D., Cooper, D. M., Goldberg, L., Kaufman, F., Marcus, M. D., Treviño, R. P., ... HEALTHY Study Group. (2010). A school-based intervention for diabetes risk reduction. The New England Journal of Medicine, 363(5), 443-453. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1001933
Buse, J. B., Kaufman, F. R., Linder, B., Hirst, K., El Ghormli, L., Willi, S., ... HEALTHY Study Group. (2013). Diabetes screening with hemoglobin A(1c) versus fasting plasma glucose in a multiethnic middle-school cohort. Diabetes Care, 36(2), 429-435. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc12-0295
DeBar, L. L., Schneider, M., Ford, E. G., Hernandez, A. E., Showell, B., Drews, K. L., ... for the HEALTHY Study Group. (2009). Social marketing-based communications to integrate and support the HEALTHY study intervention. International Journal of Obesity, 33(S4), S52-S59. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.117
Drews, K. L., Harrell, J. S., Thompson, D., Mazzuto, S. L., Ford, E. G., Carter, M., ... for the HEALTHY Study Group. (2009). Recruitment and retention strategies and methods in the HEALTHY study. International Journal of Obesity, 33(S4), S21-S28. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.113
Gillis, B., Mobley, C., Stadler, D. D., Hartstein, J., Virus, A., Volpe, S. L., ... for the HEALTHY Study Group. (2009). Rationale, design and methods of the HEALTHY study nutrition intervention component. International Journal of Obesity, 33(S4), S29-S36. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.114
Hall, W. J., Schneider, M., Thompson, D., Volpe, S. L., Steckler, A., Hall, J. M., ... the HEALTHY Study Group. (2014). School factors as barriers to and facilitators of a preventive intervention for pediatric type 2 diabetes. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 4(2), 131-140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-013-0226-z
Hirst, K., Baranowski, T., DeBar, L., Foster, G. D., Kaufman, F., Kennel, P., ... The HEALTHY Study Group. (2009). HEALTHY study rationale, design and methods: Moderating risk of type 2 diabetes in multi-ethnic middle school students. International Journal of Obesity, 33(S4), S4-S20. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.112
Jago, R., Drews, K. L., Otvos, J. D., Willi, S. M., Buse, J. B., & the HEALTHY Study Group. (2016). Novel measures of inflammation and insulin resistance are related to obesity and fitness in a diverse sample of 11-14 year olds: The HEALTHY study. International Journal of Obesity, 40(7), 1157-1163. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2016.84
Kaufman, F., Hirst, K., Buse, J., Foster, G. D., Goldberg, L., Schneider, M., ... for the HEALTHY Study Group. (2011). Effect of secular trends on a primary prevention trial: The HEALTHY study experience. Childhood Obesity, 7(4), 291-297. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2011.0044
Kaufman, F. R., Hirst, K., Linder, B., Baranowski, T., Cooper, D. M., Foster, G. D., ... HEALTHY Study Group. (2009). Risk factors for type 2 diabetes in a sixth-grade multiracial cohort: The HEALTHY study. Diabetes Care, 32(5), 953-955. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc08-1774
Marcus, M. D., Baranowski, T., DeBar, Lynn L., Edelstein, S., Kaufman, F. R., Schneider, M., ... Yin, Z. (2010). Severe obesity and selected risk factors in a sixth grade multiracial cohort: The HEALTHY study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 47(6), 604-607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.04.017
Marcus, M. D., Hirst, K., Kaufman, F., Foster, G. D., & Baranowski, T. (2013). Lessons learned from the HEALTHY primary prevention trial of risk factors for type 2 diabetes in middle school youth. Current Diabetes Reports, 13(1), 63-71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-012-0333-0
McMurray, R. G., Bassin, S., Jago, R., Bruecker, S., Moe, E. L., Murray, T., ... for the HEALTHY Study Group. (2009). Rationale, design and methods of the HEALTHY study physical education intervention component. International Journal of Obesity, 33(S4), S37-S43. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.115
Mobley, C. C., Stadler, D. D., Staten, M. A., El ghormli, L., Gillis, B., Hartstein, J., ... The HEALTHY Study Group. (2012). Effect of nutrition changes on foods selected by students in a middle school-based diabetes prevention intervention program: The HEALTHY experience. The Journal of School Health, 82(2), 82-90. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00670.x
Naseeb, M., Bruneau, M. L., Milliron, B., Sukumar, D., Foster, G. D., Smith, S. A., & Volpe, S. (2020). Dietary magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus using data from the HEALTHY study. Current Developments in Nutrition, 4(Supplement_2), 1826-1826. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa067_053
Naseeb, M., Bruneau, M. L., Milliron, B., Sukumar, D., Foster, G. D., Smith, S. A., & Volpe, S. L. (2021). Changes in dietary magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle school students: Using data from the HEALTHY study. The Journal of Nutrition, 151(11), 3442-3449. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab272
Naseeb, M., Milliron, B., Bruneau, M. L., Sukumar, D., Foster, G. D., Smith, S. A., & Volpe, S. L. (2021). Dietary magnesium intake in relation to body mass index and glycemic indices in middle school students from the HEALTHY study. Nutrition and Health, 27(2), 211-219. https://doi.org/10.1177/0260106020982345
Schneider, M., DeBar, L., Calingo, A., Hall, W., Hindes, K., Sleigh, A., ... Steckler, A. (2013). The effect of a communications campaign on middle school students' nutrition and physical activity: Results of the HEALTHY study. Journal of Health Communication, 18(6), 649-667. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2012.743627
Schneider, M., Hall, W. J., Hernandez, A. E., Hindes, K., Montez, G., Pham, T., ... for the HEALTHY Study Group. (2009). Rationale, design and methods for process evaluation in the HEALTHY study. International Journal of Obesity, 33(S4), S60-S67. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.118
Siega-Riz, A. M., El Ghormli, L., Mobley, C., Gillis, B., Stadler, D., Hartstein, J., ... HEALTHY Study Group. (2011). The effects of the HEALTHY study intervention on middle school student dietary intakes. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 8(1), 7-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-8-7
Treviño, R. P., Pham, T. H., & Edelstein, S. L. (2013). Obesity and preference-weighted quality of life of ethnically diverse middle school children: The HEALTHY study. Journal of Obesity, 206074-8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/206074
Venditti, E. M., Elliot, D. L., Faith, M. S., Firrell, L. S., Giles, C. M., Goldberg, L., ... for the HEALTHY Study Group. (2009). Rationale, design and methods of the HEALTHY study behavior intervention component. International Journal of Obesity, 33(S4), S44-S51. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.116
Venditti, E. M., Giles, C., Firrell, L. S., Zeveloff, A. D., Hirst, K., & Marcus, M. D. (2014). Interactive learning activities for the middle school classroom to promote healthy energy balance and decrease diabetes risk in the HEALTHY primary prevention trial. Health Promotion Practice, 15(1), 55-62. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839912469377
