V.I.K. (Very Important Kids): A school-based program designed to reduce teasing and unhealthy weight-control behaviors

Jess Haines; Dianne Neumark-Sztainer; Cheryl L. Perry; Peter J. Hannan; Michael P. Levine

doi:10.1093/her/cyl123

V.I.K. (Very Important Kids): A school-based program designed to reduce teasing and unhealthy weight-control behaviors

Jess Haines
, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
, Cheryl L. Perry
, Peter J. Hannan
, Michael P. Levine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

92 Scopus citations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of V.I.K. (Very Important Kids), a school-based, multi-component intervention designed to prevent teasing and unhealthy weight-control behaviors among fourth through sixth grade students. The effectiveness of the V.I.K. intervention was evaluated using a pre-post quasi-experimental design with one school assigned to each condition: intervention and assessment-only control. Data were collected at baseline and at 8-month post-test among 63 students at the intervention school and 57 students at the control school. The V.I.K. intervention included an after-school program, a theater program, school environment components and a family component. Process data suggest that the V.I.K. program can feasibly be implemented within a school setting and can effectively engage students, school staff and parents. Analysis of impact data revealed that the percentage of students reporting being teased decreased significantly in the intervention school relative to the control school, after controlling for baseline levels of teasing, body mass index z score and demographic factors (odds ratio = 0.22; 95% confidence interval = 0.06, 0.88; P = 0.03). These findings provide promising evidence that multi-component, school-based interventions may effectively reduce teasing in elementary schools. Future research of interventions aimed at preventing teasing using a larger sample of schools is warranted.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	884-895
Number of pages	12
Journal	Health education research
Volume	21
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyl123
State	Published - Dec 2006

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
further supported by the program’s sustainability. At the request of school staff, since the completion of the study, the V.I.K. intervention has been continued in the intervention school and has been added to the after-school curriculum in a second school. The schools have covered the cost of implementing the program. Given the existing infrastructure for after-school programming, the schools were able to implement the program for ;$450.00 per year (1.5 hours/week for 10 weeks at $10.00/hour per leader for two program leaders, $75.00 for program supplies and $75.00 for 1 hour of staff training).

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 4 Quality Education

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title = "V.I.K. (Very Important Kids): A school-based program designed to reduce teasing and unhealthy weight-control behaviors",

abstract = "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of V.I.K. (Very Important Kids), a school-based, multi-component intervention designed to prevent teasing and unhealthy weight-control behaviors among fourth through sixth grade students. The effectiveness of the V.I.K. intervention was evaluated using a pre-post quasi-experimental design with one school assigned to each condition: intervention and assessment-only control. Data were collected at baseline and at 8-month post-test among 63 students at the intervention school and 57 students at the control school. The V.I.K. intervention included an after-school program, a theater program, school environment components and a family component. Process data suggest that the V.I.K. program can feasibly be implemented within a school setting and can effectively engage students, school staff and parents. Analysis of impact data revealed that the percentage of students reporting being teased decreased significantly in the intervention school relative to the control school, after controlling for baseline levels of teasing, body mass index z score and demographic factors (odds ratio = 0.22; 95\% confidence interval = 0.06, 0.88; P = 0.03). These findings provide promising evidence that multi-component, school-based interventions may effectively reduce teasing in elementary schools. Future research of interventions aimed at preventing teasing using a larger sample of schools is warranted.",

author = "Jess Haines and Dianne Neumark-Sztainer and Perry, \{Cheryl L.\} and Hannan, \{Peter J.\} and Levine, \{Michael P.\}",

note = "Funding Information: further supported by the program{\textquoteright}s sustainability. At the request of school staff, since the completion of the study, the V.I.K. intervention has been continued in the intervention school and has been added to the after-school curriculum in a second school. The schools have covered the cost of implementing the program. Given the existing infrastructure for after-school programming, the schools were able to implement the program for ;\$450.00 per year (1.5 hours/week for 10 weeks at \$10.00/hour per leader for two program leaders, \$75.00 for program supplies and \$75.00 for 1 hour of staff training).",

year = "2006",

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AB - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of V.I.K. (Very Important Kids), a school-based, multi-component intervention designed to prevent teasing and unhealthy weight-control behaviors among fourth through sixth grade students. The effectiveness of the V.I.K. intervention was evaluated using a pre-post quasi-experimental design with one school assigned to each condition: intervention and assessment-only control. Data were collected at baseline and at 8-month post-test among 63 students at the intervention school and 57 students at the control school. The V.I.K. intervention included an after-school program, a theater program, school environment components and a family component. Process data suggest that the V.I.K. program can feasibly be implemented within a school setting and can effectively engage students, school staff and parents. Analysis of impact data revealed that the percentage of students reporting being teased decreased significantly in the intervention school relative to the control school, after controlling for baseline levels of teasing, body mass index z score and demographic factors (odds ratio = 0.22; 95% confidence interval = 0.06, 0.88; P = 0.03). These findings provide promising evidence that multi-component, school-based interventions may effectively reduce teasing in elementary schools. Future research of interventions aimed at preventing teasing using a larger sample of schools is warranted.

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ER -

V.I.K. (Very Important Kids): A school-based program designed to reduce teasing and unhealthy weight-control behaviors

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

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