title: A formative evaluation of the SWITCH® obesity prevention program: print versus online programming.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  SWITCH® is an evidence-based childhood obesity prevention program that works through schools to impact parenting practices. The present study was designed as a formative evaluation to test whether an online version of SWITCH® would work equivalently as the established print version.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten elementary schools were matched by socio-economic status and randomly assigned to receive either the print (n = 5) or online (n = 5) version. A total of 211 children from 22, 3(rd) grade classrooms were guided through the 4 month program by a team of program leaders working in cooperation with the classroom teachers. Children were tasked with completing weekly SWITCH® Trackers with their parents to monitor goal setting efforts in showing positive Do (≥60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity), View (≤2 hours of screen time), and Chew (≥5 servings of fruits and vegetables) behaviors on each day. A total of 91 parents completed a brief survey to assess project-specific interactions with their child and the impact on their behaviors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of parents (93.2%) reported satisfactory experiences with either the online or print SWITCH® program. The return rate for the SWITCH® Trackers was higher (42.5% ± 11%) from the print schools compared to the online schools (27.4% ± 10.9%). District program managers rated the level of teacher engagement in regards to program facilitation and the results showed a higher Trackers return rate in the highly engaged schools (38.5% ± 13.3%) than the lowly engaged schools (28.6 ± 11.9%). No significant differences were observed in parent/child interactions or reported behavior change (ps > .05) suggesting the equivalence in intervention effect for print and online versions of the SWITCH® program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings support the utility of the online SWITCH® platform but school-based modules are needed to facilitate broader school engagement by classroom teachers and PE teachers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, 255 Forker Building, Ames, IA 50011 USA.
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Welk
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, 255 Forker Building, Ames, IA 50011 USA.
authors.forename: Senlin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, 255 Forker Building, Ames, IA 50011 USA.
authors.forename: Yoon Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, 255 Forker Building, Ames, IA 50011 USA.
authors.forename: Tara E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Weber
keywords: Behavior; Childhood obesity; Intervention; School health