CHP Champions Program Celebrates Year 4
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In the fall of 2004 the Leon County School District completed the first-ever study of body mass indexes (BMI) in grades K, 1 and 3-8. The results showed 36.2% of the children were either overweight (18.9%) or at-risk for overweight (17.4%).
Capital Health Plan recognized that the future health of our community depends on the lifestyle choices offered to our children today. In partnership with Leon County Schools, Titus Sports Academy, the Chamber of Commerce’s World Class Schools and Capital Health Plan, the CHP Champions program was launched.
Four years later, CHP Champions is in every elementary school and middle school in Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson and Wakulla County. Participation has increased from 1,151 children in its first year to over 8,800 participates last school year. Working with the FSU Medical School to implement a K-2nd grade program in 12 elementary schools, CHP Champions has a target goal this school year of 12,600 participants.
The focus of the program is to provide students with developmental physical activity by incorporating the basic level of sports performance training principles. Initially offered as an after-school program, it is now offered before school and during the day in a large portion of schools. CHP Champions is currently working to incorporate program lessons into the standard physical education curriculum.
A key element of this initiative is a well-designed set of evaluations. Each student is given a pre-test and post-test each semester to track their progress. The test gathers data including BMI, hip-to-waist ratio, and performance in a number of physical fitness activities.
An independent analysis conducted by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst found significant correlation in students’ participation in the CHP CHAMPIONS program and their overall improvement in health and fitness. An indication of this correlation is the downward shift of CHP Champions pre-BMI compared to CHP Champions post-BMI. The study looked at data collected from the 2006/2007 school year including weight, BMI, and improvement in the following performance tests: 40 Yard Dash, Pro Agility, Broad Jump, and 300 Yard Shuttle Run.
| Weight Status Category | CHP CHAMPIONS Pre BMI* | CHP CHAMPIONS Post BMI* |
| Healthy Weight | 53 % | 57 % |
| Overweight | 33 % | 25 % |
*Includes 242 participants with at least 40% participation Rate who were enrolled in both Fall 2006 and Spring 200.
If you would like more information on the CHP Champions Program please email info@mychampions.com or visit the website at www.mychampions.com.
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