TITLE:
Evaluation of the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) Program in Third through Fifth Graders in Northern Illinois
AUTHORS:
Paulina Karecka, Tyson Copeland, Henna Muzaffar
KEYWORDS:
Schools, Nutrition Knowledge, Healthy Choices, Social Cognitive Theory
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.15 No.11,
November
7,
2023
ABSTRACT: Background: The Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) is a school-based health
education program, grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), and designed to
improve dietary habits and increase physical activity among children and
adolescents. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of
CATCH program, delivered by dietetic interns and Northern Illinois University
(NIU) students, to 3rd-5th graders in Northern Illinois,
in increasing their nutrition knowledge and healthy choices behavior. Methods: In total, 167 elementary school children in grades 3 - 5 in Northern Illinois
participated in a non-experimental program evaluation study. We delivered 6
CATCH lessons throughout the academic year to five elementary schools. Lessons
were focused on “Go, Slow, and Whoa” food categories to help children understand
healthier food choices. Validated questionnaires from the CATCH Global
Foundation were administered in classrooms and online, pre/post intervention,
to assess nutritional knowledge and healthy choices. Results: Children
in third through fifth grades significantly increased their knowledge about
nutrient dense foods, p Conclusion: We conclude that children in
grades 3 - 5 who participated in the 6 lessons of the CATCH program expanded
their nutritional knowledge and 4th and 5th graders
improved their ability to make healthier choices. Conducting evaluations of
health promotion programs is imperative to determine the impact of the program,
as well as to explore possible improvements in content and delivery for future
implementation.