The program
The proposed program is to initiate an education program that will improve wellness. The comprehensive program includes education on healthy eating, physical activity, and promoting social and emotional skills and competencies to provide the necessary support for young people.
The target population
Many young people are struggling with social, physical, and emotional health-related issues. Research studies reveal that young people between 10 to 17 years are overweight or obese, with 1 to 3 young people falling outside the recommended weight range (Pate et al., 2016). Statistics further reveal that many young people are at a higher risk of acquiring several lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Young people's physical and emotional health has a greater impact on their wellbeing, especially when they become adults.
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A survey by Kaiser Permanente study connects the impact of young people's health and how it affects them in adulthood. Issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, poor eating habits result in obesity and other health-related issues (Cassar et al., 2019). Diseases and illness among young people hinder their growth and develop their full potential. Furthermore, young people do not participate in physical activities, which jeopardize their health. Promoting healthy practices during adolescence is important in protecting these age groups from health problems that might affect them in adulthood.
Target selection and intake procedures
The selection process will include students from public institutions within the metropolitan areas. School administrators, parents, nutritionists, school nurses, and recess supervisors will be actively involved. Participants will be students between the ages of 10 to 15. Other criteria, such as body weight, are an important consideration during recruitment. A good selection process should have a bigger sample size, and the process should be randomized to avoid any bias selection (Romain et al., 2020). The whole process will be conducted in learning institutions where young people are accessible.
The program components
The comprehensive program will include activities to empower young people through creative learning and field activities. Middle school students will learn martial arts techniques from qualified instructors to help them practice core tenets of life, such as humility, integrity, self-control, and stewardship. For example, during the introduction of Tae Kwon Do and Karate, the main idea is to learn to listen, corporate, and focus (O'Hara Tompkins et al., 2019). The participants are expected to gain a better understanding of how to take control of their lives. The program will also give participants time to interact with each other and also share ideas and experiences.
The program will be conducted as an after school initiative that will focus on young people within the metropolitan area. Physical activities will be blended with nutrition education, academic support, mentoring, and other enrichment activities. The program will involve coach mentors to work closely with middle and elementary school students as role models. The coach mentors will help children identify their personal and health goals and strategies to reach those (O’Hara Tompkins et al., 2019). Qualified coaches will teach middle students to work together, accept new challenges to overcome daily life challenges.
The policy statement that addresses the problem
Obesity rates among children and adolescents have increased dramatically. Secular changes limit physical activities. Consequently, adolescents do not meet public health guidelines for nutrition and physical activity (Pate et al., 2016). All these factors put them at risk of acquiring several lifestyle illnesses. Accordingly, public health intervention is needed to promote nutrition education and also increase physical activity among adolescents as a strategy to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity. The promotion of these interventions requires new policies using multiple societal approaches. Stakeholders need to work closely with the public health sector authorities to develop guidelines to improve adolescents' health.
School-based interventions with multicomponent will be ideal in improving the health of the young population. The approach needs to reflect strong coordination and synergy that include all the components. These components need to include nutrition education and physical education as the foundation (Pate et al., 2016). These activities need to be implemented before school, during school, and after school. The involvement of teachers, staff, families, and community will be important in disseminating messages that encourage a healthy lifestyle.
Specifically, physical activity is a major component that would be ideal for adolescents.
A comprehensive school physical activity program, is the appropriate school-based intervention. This intervention will include a training program for classroom teachers, school administrators, recess supervisors, parents, and community members. The physical education classes will offer an important opportunity for physical engagement during school days (Pate et al., 2016). Thus, physical education will be part of the school program to provide students will an enriched curriculum and education experience.
Action plan
A school-based physical activity program requires a coordinated process involving the district education representative, school administrators, classroom teachers, school nurses, and recess supervisors. Some of the important resources include physical education experts, nutritionists, open spaces for physical activities, and adequate financial support to enhance the coordination process. The program will cost approximately $1200 every term. The proposed activities are football, athletics, and simple games such as obstacle races that will require teamwork. Classroom teachers and recess supervisors will assist in organizing small teams to participate in weekly physical challenges.
The activities will be conducted during recess to help students get more physical activity and achieve the recommended 60 minutes of activity each day (Smedegaard et al.,2016). School administrators and the district education officers will provide the funds necessary and engage experts to guide the field activities. The physical activity will be incorporated into classroom activity lessons. Thus, coordination between the program staff, parents, and the community will foster involvement and community partnership.
References
Cassar, S., Salmon, J., Timperio, A., Naylor, P. J., Van Nassau, F., Ayala, A. M. C., & Koorts,
H. (2019). Adoption, implementation and sustainability of school-based physical activity
and sedentary behaviour interventions in real-world settings: a systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity , 16 (1), 120.
O'Hara Tompkins, N., Weikle, M. F., Keath, A., Northrup, K., Childers, S., Grant, J.,& Wittberg,
R. (2019). Professional development for increased classroom-based physical activity:
Elements and strategies to reduce barriers and facilitate implementation. Journal of
Physical Education, Recreation & Dance , 90 (9), 38-52.
Pate, R. R., Flynn, J. I., & Dowda, M. (2016). Policies for promotion of physical activity and
prevention of obesity in adolescence. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness , 14 (2), 47-
53.
Romain, J. S., Hendrick, C., Reed, I., Staiano, A., & Harris, M. (2020). Challenges in Effectively
Recruiting and Retaining 342 Adolescents as Research Participants into an
Observational Cohort Study . SAGE Publications Ltd.
Smedegaard, S., Christiansen, L. B., Lund-Cramer, P., Bredahl, T., & Skovgaard, T. (2016).
Improving the well-being of children and youths: a randomized multicomponent, school-
based, physical activity intervention. BMC Public Health , 16 (1), 1127.
