Other Projects

HealthyU and Environmental Conservation: A Shared Journey. Eat, Play, and Recycle

Incorporating environmental conservation as a "stealth" intervention in school health promotion programs is a novel approach to motivate social change and improve health behaviors. The aim of this project is to enhance healthy behaviors among youth in underserved and ethnically diverse populations by incorporating health education and health prevention efforts into an environmental conservation framework of social responsibility.

In a 2014 pilot study with 77 students, we found that (in addition to significant knowledge increase) 15% of students expressed a desire to eat more vegetables in their diet, 30% to drink less soda and more water, and hiking outdoors was one of the things they liked most about the docent lead experiential learning trip to Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (JRBP). [POSTER]

Project Activities 

  1. Dissemination of web-based health education modules on NutritionPhysical Activity, and Environment.
  2. Organization of three docent-led experiential environmental field trips for 6th grade students to Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve in October 2014.
  3. Engagement of Stanford undergraduate students in service learning coursework and activities including mentoring of 6th grade students in underserved middle schools.
  4. Educational session for parents to emphasize connections between environment-health-behavior change and enhance family collective learning.
A Web-aided educational intervention that focuses on Nutrition, Exercise, Healthy Weight, and Sleep was developed and evaluated by a Stanford team. The science-based heath curriculum can be integrated into regular school curriculum, and is available free of charge.

To address the dual needs of diabetes management for adults and prevention for youth, a Stanford team led by Nancy Morioka-Douglas, MD, MPH developed an innovative strategy whereby high school students are trained in chronic disease self management to become coaches for diabetic family members.

 

SJUSD Coordinated School Health Pilot

A Coordinated School Health (CSH) Pilot Project was launched in August 2011 to provide services at two underserved elementary schools in San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD). CSH is a novel approach pioneered by Centers for Disease Control to coordinate school health activities to improve students’ health, well-being, and academic performance. In collaboration with their community partner San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD), the Stanford School Health Evaluation team conducted an evaluation of the CSH program implementation, including assessment of teachers’ and parents’ perceptions.

  • Poster presentation highlighting mid-year outcomes by Eunice Rodriguez, Ashini Srivastava, Diana Austria, and Kathy Boeckman at the Community Health Symposium, Stanford University in November 2012. [Poster]
  • Poster presentation highlighting end of year outcomes including student absenteeism, fitness tests and student academic performance by Eunice Rodriguez, Ashini Srivastava and Kathy Boeckman at Fourth Annual Pediatrics Research Retreat, Stanford University, April 2013. [Poster]

 

For more information about SJUSD's coordinated school health efforts, please visit http://www.sjusd.org/school/district/info/C4963/.