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GirlStars

A Good Idea

Description

GirlStars was a program that provided regular, organized physical activity and health education for adolescent 9- to 13-year-old girls living in Boston public housing. Two-hour group meetings were held twice a week after school, one dedicated to health education, the other, physical activity. In addition to encouraging physical activity, the program aimed to improve the girls' knowledge of risk behavior and increase self-efficacy, resilience, and self-confidence. The health education sessions covered topics like body image, goal setting, self-esteem, development, nutrition, and healthy eating.

Goal / Mission

The goal of the GirlStars intervention was to promote a lifetime of physical activity and positive health behaviors.

Results / Accomplishments

During the three years of the program, 60 girls enrolled in GirlStars. At its conclusion, ten girls participated in individual, semistructured, open-ended interviews. The responses showed that the girls learned about personal health and experienced increased confidence in decision-making. However, GirlStars encountered a number of challenges that impacted program recruitment and participation. Researchers could not draw firm conclusions from the small sample size, but believe the program benefited the participants and could positively impact many more at-risk girls if such barriers are addressed in future programs.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Partners in Health and Housing Prevention Research Center
Primary Contact
Lee Strunin
Boston University School of Public Health
801 Massachusetts Ave, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02118
617-638-5199
lstrunin@bu.edu
Topics
Health / Physical Activity
Health / Adolescent Health
Community / Social Environment
Organization(s)
Partners in Health and Housing Prevention Research Center
Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Date of publication
Mar 2010
Date of implementation
Jul 2002
Location
Boston, MA
For more details
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2010/mar/08_0248.htm
Target Audience
Teens, Racial/Ethnic Minorities

Related Promising Practices

  1. Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child-Care (NAP SACC)
  2. Bienestar: A School-Based Diabetes and Obesity Prevention Program
  3. PACE+: Counseling Adolescents for Exercise and Nutrition
  4. School Nutrition Policy Initiative
  5. Students for Nutrition and Exercise (SNaX)
  6. Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise & Nutrition Alternatives (ATHENA)

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Related Content for: GirlStars

A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.