Table 2 Key findings, implications and dissemination process for the SPANS monitoring program
From: Utilization of a population health survey in policy and practice: a case study
Key Findings | Key Findings | Dissemination Process | Funding Source |
|---|---|---|---|
1997 School Fitness and Physical Activity Survey | |||
Poor fundamental movement skills (FMS) amongst school students | Need to address FMS and physical activity in schools | Main and summary report available on website | Department of Education and Training |
Low levels of physical activity, particularly amongst adolescent girls | Survey should be repeated periodically with comparable measures | Summary report sent to all NSW schools | |
Few primary schools have teachers with training in sport and physical education | Presentations to a range of end-user groups | ||
Peer review publications (n = 11, total citations1 = 589) | |||
2004 School Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey | |||
Almost 25% of students 5–16 years were overweight or obese, rising from 1997 | Focus on FMS working, but needs to be continued | Main, short and summary report available on website | NSW Department of Health |
Widening of the gap in prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst low socio-economic status and culturally and linguistically diverse groups since 1997 | Need to limit small screen use to 2 hours per day | 40 Regional stakeholder workshops across NSW | |
FMS and physical activity levels had improved significantly since 1997 survey but high screen time use | Reinforced the need to implement government policy that schools should offer 2 hours of planned physical activity per week | Media releases and interviews | |
Chronic disease risk factors common amongst overweigh/obese adolescents | Efforts to increase physical activity promotion in schools and community should be continued and increased | Peer review publications (n = 18, total citations1 = 131) | |
High intake of energy dense foods and drinks and low levels of vegetable consumption | Limit consumption and promotion of energy dense nutrient poor food | ||
Implement strategies to target ‘high-risk’ groups | |||
2010 School Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey | |||
Prevalence of overweight and obesity stabilized since 2004 | Continue to implement school canteen program, focus on FMS and provide minimum of 2 hours of planned physical activity per week in schools | Main, short and summary report available on website | NSW Department of Health (now Ministry of Health) |
Socioeconomic and cultural disparities in prevalence of overweight/obesity remain. | Implement programs to support participation in community sport | Media releases and interviews | |
High consumption of energy dense nutrient poor foods and drinks and low levels of vegetable consumption | Advocate for national regulations to limit the marketing of unhealthy foods to children and policies to promote active transport | Peer review publications (n = 4, total citations1 = 1) | |
Decline in proportion of students meeting physical activity guidelines | Widespread dissemination of consistent messages to parents/families regarding healthy lifestyle behaviors | Presentations to stakeholder groups (with more to follow) | |
FMS showed improvement in some skills and decline in others | Importance of targeting family behaviors and early childhood sector to reduce obesity in preschoolers | ||
High screen time use | |||
Overweight and obesity increasing among children entering first year of school (~ 5 years old) | |||