Project Report - 2008

Tween POWER - Preventing Obesity through Wise Expenditures of Resources

Project Leader: Jean Anliker

Extension Staff and Faculty:

• Cindy Hubbard
• Shirley Mietlicki-Floyd, Public Health
• Lynne Thompson

Collaborating Faculty:

• Elena Carbone, Nutrition

This project addressed the following UMass Extension Critical Issue:

• Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Description

Childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades for children aged 6-19. Many factors at the individual, family, and environmental levels contribute to this trend, including the prevalence of low-cost, high-calorie foods and beverages readily available in stores and fast food restaurants and diminished physical activity.  At the same time, marketers are spending billions of dollars to appeal to these young audiences, who are just beginning to make their own decisions in the marketplace.  Still, no research has been published that examines what monies adolescents have to spend, what foods and beverages they spend them on, and how they make those decisions. 

Beginning in 2004, and funded with $800,000 from the US Dept. of Agriculture, Tween POWER investigators initiated a study of White and Latino adolescents of Western Massachusetts, with the intention of developing and testing a culturally-appropriate obesity prevention program. The ultimate goal for Tween POWER is to help adolescents make healthier food choices and increase physical activity to prevent obesity, resulting in longer, healthier and more productive lives.

Activity Summary

Tween POWER activities focused initially on collecting data to examine personal consumer spending on food and beverages and the thought processes that youth employ to make these decisions.  Faculty and graduate students conducted interviews and focus groups with White and Latino 11- to 14-year-olds to explore typical eating and physical activity behaviors; purchasing resources and decisions (especially regarding foods and beverages); media use and preferences; and suggestions for educational approaches.   This information was used to develop “SPIN” (Strength and Power in Nutrition), an eight-week culturally-appropriate after-school program built on effective marketing concepts targeted to this age group.  SPIN engages adolescents in a variety of innovative ways, reaching them through both cognitive and affective techniques, music, and fun.  The underlying principle is the balance of power.  SPIN helps adolescents recognize their personal powers (e.g., health, knowledge, time, money) and understand that when they spend one power (such as their money or time), they have opportunities to get power back (e.g., through healthful food choices or physical activity); but the choices are theirs.  

In the past year, SPIN programs have been delivered to Massachusetts adolescents in Westfield, North Adams, Brockton, and Fall River school and after-school programs. Faculty and staff have provided leadership and administrative oversight for the project, monitored program delivery and data collection, and begun data analysis.  The project is also serving as the basis for teaching and scholarship as students draw from the data to complete requirements for their degree programs and faculty develop manuscripts for publication.

Results Activity

Positive outcomes has been documented for program participants, and additional data on key impacts and results from Tween POWER (media literacy, knowledge, physical activity, and frequency of food consumption) are still being analyzed.  Thus far, data have shown the following significant changes in youth behaviors:

• Youth who participated in the SPIN curriculum showed improved food shopping practices, as demonstrated by significantly higher nutrient density scores for actual food and beverage purchases during post- compared to pre-program food shopping trips. 
• Youth who participated in the SPIN curriculum purchased significantly fewer calories per dollar during actual food shopping trips post- compared to pre-program.

In addition, qualitative data demonstrated that youth gained  knowledge and decision-making skills related to healthy dietary behaviors, and applied them in making their food and beverage choices in the supermarket

Planned outcomes and observed or measured progress

• 17 (100% of those who were assessed) applied knowledge and decision-making skills as they made their food and beverage choices in the supermarket".

Activities, delivery mode and participants reached

An innovative 8-session curriculum, educator’s guide, and music DVD
1 completed

Research projects that supported three graduate students (resulting in one PhD degree)
3 completed, 3 UMass Students, including the Doctoral dissertation, “Food Purchasing among Tweens: Effects of the SPIN (Strength and Power in Nutrition) Nutrition Education Intervention” by Laura Hutchinson, PhD.

SPIN programs delivered in Westfield, North Adams, Brockton, and Fall River school and after-school programs
5 completed, 105 youth

Training for 18 Extension staff members in SPIN background and delivery
2 completed, 18 staff

Developed Research Manuscripts
1 completed, 4 in preparation

This project is a part of the Nutrition Education Program