Program
Inactivity and an unhealthy diet contribute to overweight and obesity among young children. Since these health behaviors develop during early childhood, it’s crucial that health promotion starts at a young age.
The multi-component school- based health promotion program Join the Healthy Boat was developed for children aged 0-10 years and aims at promoting
- daily physical activity
- active, screen-free leisure time
- higher consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages
- relaxation and mindfulness
Through this program, children learn how to establish behaviors which contribute positively to their overall health and development. The program consists of training sessions and practice proven materials for educational professionals and families, which can be integrated into kindergarten and school curriculum. Join the Healthy Boat has been implemented in schools and kindergartens throughout Baden-Württemberg since 2009 and 2014, respectively.
Development
At the heart of the program is an evidence-based and theory-driven intervention development. It consists of hands-on materials (in German) which were developed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University Hospital of Ulm and an educational advisory board.
Join the Healthy Boat was developed by means of Bartholomew’s Intervention Mapping Approach (Bartholomew et al., 2006). Additionally, the social-cognitive theory by Bandura (Bandura, 2001) and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework for human development (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) were applied.
Intervention strategy
Join the Healthy Boat applies a teacher-delivery model, whereby caregivers and educators are trained to implement the program directly in their own day care centers and classrooms. These training sessions take place in the form of workshops, which are offered free of charge to all interested teachers and educators living in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. Theoretical background knowledge as well as the handling of the materials is taught in the training sessions. The associated support materials are also provided to educators and teachers free of charge.
This program aims at primary prevention and integrates children’s peer group and parents in order to involve their entire environment, thus promoting self-motivation. Using two pirate children, Finn and Fine, as identification figures, the content is conveyed in an engaging, child-friendly way.
Evaluation
Join the Healthy Boat is one of the few successful health promotion programs in Germany that can demonstrate significant intervention effects on different target parameters. The Program was evaluated as part of the “Health Survey” (kindergarten) and “Baden-Württemberg Study” (primary school).