Initiative Description: School-based exercise and nutrition program with a parent engagement component. Second-grade and fourth-grade classrooms were assigned randomly to a treatment and a control group. The school-based treatment program focused on decreasing fat and cholesterol intake and increasingly physical activity with a parent educational component.

Study Results: Children and parents in the treatment group scored significantly higher and demonstrated greater improvement on fitness/nutrition knowledge and on vegetable and fruit serving

Reference: Hopper, C. A., Munoz, K. D., Gruber, M. B., MacConnie, S., Schonfeldt, B., & Shunk, T.(1996) A school-based cardiovascular exercise and nutrition program with parent participation: An evaluation study. Children’s Health Care, 25(3), 221-235.

Level of Evidence: Very Good