Many schools run programs to help students be more active and eat healthier, but it’s unclear how long these programs last and what helps them to continue to be delivered over time.
PhD candidate, Edd Riley-Gibson, and his team surveyed 207 Australian primary schools to find out how long physical activity and nutrition programs are sustained and what factors help them stick.
The team found that:
- Schools ran an average of 5–6 physical activity programs and 2–3 nutrition programs.
- On average, physical activity programs lasted about 7 years and nutrition programs slightly longer, around 7.4 years.
- Nutrition programs were three times more likely to continue long-term than physical activity programs.
- The most important factors for keeping programs going was how well the program matched the school’s current priorities and having partnerships with outside organisations.
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