REAL Kids Alberta - Overview

Project overview

Baseline data was collected in the first phase of the REAL Kids Alberta evaluation in the spring of 2008, with a smaller selection of schools completing a Pedometer Study in 2009. The second provincial phase of the project was completed in the spring of 2010. Smaller cohorts of schools were selected for evaluation in 2011, including some participating in the Pedometer Study 2011.
During the provincial data collections in 2008 and 2010, over 3000 Grade 5 students and over 4000 parents were surveyed from 174 schools across Alberta, of which 148 were randomly selected. In 2012, we expect to collect data from approximately 4000 Grade 5 students.

The evaluation of Grade 5 students includes:

  • Harvard Food Frequency Questionnaire for Children and Youth (a dietary assessment tool) to assess dietary habits and nutrient intake
  • Self-reported information on physical activity, screen time and recognition of AHW programs
  • Measurement of height and weight to determine overweight and obesity from calculation of Body Mass Index
  • Selected students wear a digital, time-stamped pedometer for 7 days to measure activity levels

What and how will we measure?

The 2012 data collection will survey a selected group of grade 5 students, their parents and school principals. This will be accomplished by:

  1. Administering surveys to selected grade five students across Alberta and measuring their growth and development (height, weight, and arm span). The survey and growth measurements will be administered by trained evaluation assistants. Students' weights will be gathered using a scale that sends their weight to a remote display, which cannot be viewed by the students. Students will not be told their body measurement information to ensure that comparison of weights is impossible. The classroom teacher and two evaluation workers will be present at all times while the measurements are taken. Measurements will not be shared with the child, parents or other school personnel. Students in selected schools will be asked to wear a digital time-stamped pedometer for 7 days and complete an activity diary each day.
  2. The parent/guardian(s) of participating students will complete a self-administered survey about the home environment.
  3. The principals of participating schools will complete a self-administered survey on school programs and environment.
  4. Each participating school will receive a confidential report with school specific results, which are compared to the provincial average for such things as: students' eating behaviour, parental support of healthy eating at school, students' physical activity, parental encouragement of physical activity, and students' sedentary activities.
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Consent and confidentiality

Participation in this evaluation is voluntary. All participants must consent to participate by signing a consent form. Students will only be asked to participate if their parent/guardian has given them written consent to participate. All consent forms will be removed from the surveys to ensure confidentiality. All information collected will be anonymous and kept confidential and will not be shared with anyone including the child's school personnel. Individual schools will not be identified when the findings are produced.

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Who is involved in the evaluation?

The principal investigator of this evaluation is Dr. Paul Veugelers, Professor, School of Public Health, at the University of Alberta. Dr. Veugelers main areas of research are related to the importance of nutrition, healthy lifestyle, socio-economic factors, intervention programs and policies in relation to overweight and chronic disease prevention. Dr. Veugelers has extensive experience with school based evaluation. His Nova Scotia-based research revealed the success of a comprehensive school health approach in the Annapolis Valley through the ‘Make the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice' intervention. Students from these schools had substantially healthier diets with more fruits and vegetables and fewer calories from dietary fat and were 59% less likely to be overweight and 72% less likely to be obese.

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Further information

The findings from this evaluation will provide valuable information to support Ministry wellness initiatives for children and youth. For further information please contact Dr Paul Veugelers, the principal investigator, or Shelby Corley, the Project Coordinator.

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