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NEWS
FROM CAMBRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE
January
30, 2007
Overweight Decreases in Cambridge Students K to 8 -
New Findings from Researchers, Clinicians, Public Health Officials,
and Public School Staff Collaborating on Weight & Fitness Assessments
What: Health & Fitness Progress Report - Annual Assessment
of height, weight, and fitness of Cambridge Public School (CPS)
Children in K to 8.
Who: Cambridge Public Schools Department, Institute
for Community Health, Cambridge Public Health Department, Cambridge
Health Alliance, Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs,
CitySprouts Gardening Program, Concilio Hispano, Federation of Massachusetts
Farmers' Markets, and the Healthy Children Task Force
Data Source: Cambridge Public Schools
Analysis: Institute for Community Health
Methods: Annual height, weight, and fitness data was collected
by CPS physical education staff, school nurses, and student interns
and analyzed by the Institute for Community Health. Data was entered
into a spreadsheet and merged with student records to create individualized
results. The personalized results were then shared with parents,
80% of whom said they want this information annually.
Key Finding: From 2004 to 2006, children at risk for being
overweight or children who are overweight was reduced from 39% to
35.5% or approximately 300 children in total out of about 4000 who
are tracked annually.
Results in Weight Category: Overweight decreased from 20.8% in
2004 to 18.6% in 2006.
Healthy Weight increased from 59.2% in 2004 to 62.9% in 2006, a
change of 3.7%. Students passing all fitness tests increased from
28.4% in 2004 to 35.7% in 2006.
From 2004-2006, the percentage of K-8th grade CPS students who
were overweight decreased 2.2%, and the percentage of students categorized
as at-risk for overweight decreased 1.4%.
From 2004-2006, similar drops in overweight and at-risk for overweight
were seen across the board for boys and girls, whites, blacks, and
Hispanics, and those eligible for the federal free/reduced lunch
program.
Results in Fitness Category: From 2004-2006, the percentage
of K-8th grade CPS students who passed the overall fitness test
increased 7.3%.
From 2004-2006, fitness scores improved for boys and girls, all
racial and ethnic groups, and those eligible for the federal free/reduced
lunch program.
Funding: The project was supported by grants from the United
States Department of Education; the United States Department of
Agriculture Community Food Program; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts;
the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; and the United States
Department of Health and Human Services, and a Carol M. White Grant.
The Collaboration: Over the years, the Cambridge Public
Schools have produced thousands of interesting and renowned alumni,
including Nobel Prize winning physicists, Rhodes Scholars, Olympic
medal winning athletes and Academy Award winning actors and screenwriters.
With "excellent instruction found in every classroom,"
it comes as no surprise that last year, 92 percent of Cambridge
Rindge and Latin High School seniors enrolled in a two-or four-year
college, university, or technical school. Website: www.cpsd.us.
The Institute for Community Health (ICH) is a unique collaboration
among three Massachusetts health care systems to improve the health
of Cambridge, Somerville and surrounding communities. ICH, which
is based at Cambridge Health Alliance, was founded in 2000 by Cambridge
Health Alliance, Mount Auburn Hospital, and Partners HealthCare.
Website: www.icommunityhealth.org.
The Cambridge Public Health Department strives to improve
the quality of life of residents and workers by reducing sickness
and injury; encouraging healthy behaviors; and fostering safe and
healthy environments in homes, schools, and workplaces. Website:
www.cambridgepublichealth.org.
The Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs provides
a breadth of services that is unique in the Commonwealth. Website:
www.cambridgema.gov/DHSP2.
CitySprouts was created in the spring of 2000 to provide
Cambridge public school communities with sustainable gardens that
support the overall curriculum and to inspire urban schoolchildren
to participate in the food cycle from seed to compost. Website:
www.citysprouts.org.
Concilio Hispano is a non-profit organization providing
services to the greater Boston Latino community. Website: www.conciliohispano.org.
The Federation of Massachusetts Farmers' Markets is a public,
non-profit, charitable service organization dedicated to the needs
of farmers, consumers and communities.Website:
www.massfarmersmarkets.org.
The Healthy Children Task Force has over a decade of experience
bringing diverse agencies together to address children's health
issues by providing an avenue for individuals to take action collaboratively
in Cambridge.
Cambridge
Health Alliance is a regional healthcare system with three hospitals
and more than twenty primary care practices in Cambridge, Somerville,
and Boston's metro-North communities. As a teaching affiliate of
Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Health Alliance offers medical
residency/training programs and undergraduate learning experiences
in hospital and community settings. Cambridge Health Alliance also
includes the Cambridge Public Health Department, CHA Physicians
Organization (CHAPO), and Network Health, a managed Medicaid plan.
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