About BodyWorks

• Office on Women’s Health (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

• www.WomensHealth.gov/BodyWorks • BodyWorks@hhs.gov • 202-842-3600

About BodyWorks

• Purpose:– To provide families with tools and strategies to

improve their eating and activity habits

– To help families with boys and girls from 9 to 14 years old adopt healthy lifestyle habits

Background Information

• Parents and caregivers play an important role in shaping the nutrition and physical activity patterns of their children

• Adolescents are less likely to be overweight or obese if their parents maintain a healthy weight

• Parent participation in healthy lifestyle programs has been shown to have a positive effect on program success

Audiences

• Primary audience:– Parents and caregivers of

adolescent boys and girls

• Secondary audiences:– Adolescent boys and girls– Other family members

Main Messages

Healthy adolescents become strong adults

Parents are an important influence on their children’s eating and activity habits

Main Messages

Main Messages

Change takes time – begin by taking a few small steps

BodyWorks

• OWH developed this parent-focused program after several years of formative research

• Introduced in 2006

• Led by trained facilitators in all 50 states

• Eight family-focused sessions, 90 minutes each

• Adolescents are encouraged to come to all of the sessions with their parents/caregivers

Changes to BodyWorks

• BodyWorks now includes families with boys as well as families with girls.

• 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines

• 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• BodyWorks is now calcium fortified!

• BodyWorks is now 8 weekly sessions instead of 10 weekly sessions.

Community-Based Distribution

• Trainers are trained in 1-day, small group sessions to: – Recruit parents/caregivers

with their children– Conduct the 8-session

BodyWorks program with families

– Train others to be BodyWorks trainers

– Promote the program

• Office on Women’s Health

(OWH)• 10 OWH Regional Offices

• Community-based organizations, health professionals, hospitals/clinics,

faith-based organizations, and other nonprofits

• Families

Partners and Collaborators

• Action for Healthy Kids

• ADA Kids Eat Right

• Alliance for a Healthier Generation

• American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences

• BCBS of Michigan (Building Healthy Communities)

• Chop Chop Magazine

• Curves

• Dr. Oz’s HealthCorps

• Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation

• Medical Reserve Corps

• National Association for Health & Fitness

• National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity

• Obesity Action Coalition

• Seattle BodyWorks Coalition

• The Six O'clock Scramble

Toolkit Components

• For the Whole Family:– A practical, reusable grocery bag

• For Parents/Caregivers:– Body Basics guide– Deliciously Healthy Family Meals

recipe book– Weekly Meal Planner

refridgerator magnet– Shopping List– DVD on Shopping and Cooking

• For Adolescents:– For Teens guide– For Guys guide– Best Journal Ever!

Theory

• Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change) (Prochaska)

• Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura)

• Motivational Interviewing (Miller & Rollnick)

• Adult Learning Principles (Knowles)

• Gagne’s Nine Instructional Principles

Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change)

• Change is not a single event, but rather an ongoing process.

• People are at different stages of readiness at any one time.

• BodyWorks is most helpful for people in Stage 2 (Contemplation) or 3 (Preparation) and may be helpful for people in Stage 4 (Action) or 5 (Maintenance).

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)

• SCT is broad and complex.

• SCT concepts incorporated into BodyWorks:

– Observational learning (modeling)

– Self-efficacy (a person’s confidence in his or her ability to perform a behavior)

– Goal setting

– Behavioral capability (knowing what to do and how to do it)

Motivational Interviewing

• A brief, nonconfrontational way to help someone make changes

• Create a safe and supportive environment to help people think about their behaviors and whether or how they might go about making changes

• Helps people explore and resolve ambivalence (for example, between indulgence and restraint)

Adult Learning Principles

Four phases of the adult learning cycle:

1. Experiencing – Doing

2. Processing – Reflecting

3. Generalizing – Deriving Meaning

4. Applying – Taking Action

Gagne’s Nine Instructional Principles

1. Gain Attention

2. State Objectives

3. Stimulate Recall

4. Present New Information

5. Guide Learning

6. Elicit Performance

7. Provide Feedback

8. Evaluate Performance

9. Enhance Retention

National Evaluation

• 2005-2007: independent national evaluation

• Major findings:– Changed parents’ intentions, motivation, and immediate

behavior– Girls responded positively to their parents’/caregivers’

participation in BodyWorks; majority felt comfortable, confident, and interested in pursuing a nutritious lifestyle in cooperation with their parents/caregivers

• Currently undergoing a second, more extensive evaluation

Questions?

www.WomensHealth.gov/BodyWorks