Evaluating the West Virginia Healthy Lifestyles Act: methods and procedures.
BACKGROUND
The West Virginia Healthy Lifestyles Act contained 5 school-based mandates intended to reduce childhood obesity. These addressed the sale of healthy beverages, physical education time, fitness assessment, health education and assessment, and Body Mass Index measurement. This article describes the processes and methods used to evaluate efforts to implement the legislation.


METHODS
University researchers and state public health and education staff formed the collaborative evaluation team. To assess perceptions and practices, surveys were completed with school personnel (53 superintendents, 586 principals, 398 physical education teachers, 214 nurses) and telephone interviews were conducted with a multistage, stratified sample of 1500 parents and 420 students statewide. Healthcare providers (N = 122) were surveyed regarding current child weight practices and interactions with families. Statewide data reflecting fitness, physical education plans, local wellness policies, and health knowledge were included in the evaluation.


RESULTS
The evaluation was facilitated by state officials and agencies, resulting in good access to survey groups and high survey response rates for school personnel (57% to 95% response rates); a substantially lower response rate was obtained for healthcare providers (22%).


CONCLUSIONS
Collaborative design and implementation was a key factor in the successful conduct of this obesity policy evaluation.
Harris
Carole V
CV
Health Research Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Bradlyn
Andrew S
AS
Tompkins
Nancy O
NO
Purkey
Melanie B
MB
Kennedy
Keri A
KA
Kelley
George A
GA
D015992:Body Mass Index; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003625:Data Collection; D015438:Health Behavior; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011634:Public Health; D040241:Social Marketing; D014903:West Virginia