Process Evaluation of a School-Based Intervention to Increase Physical Activity and Reduce Bullying

Abstract

Increases in schoolyard bullying and physical inactivity have become important issues to many stakeholders. Peers Running Organized Play Stations (PROPS) is a program designed to address these two issues in elementary schools. Using a “train the trainer” approach, PROPS was introduced to 41 schools. Results of a process evaluation indicate that the implementation rate was 39%. Resources were identified by some respondents as an implementation facilitator. A variety of barriers to implementation were identified: The PROPS program was not a component of anyone's job at the school level, teachers or parent volunteers are needed to run the program, and there is no funding to purchase equipment or storage bins for the equipment. In addition, support for PROPS is vulnerable to changing environments. This process evaluation points to some needed changes for long-term sustainability of the program while highlighting challenges associated with implementing a program in the elementary school setting.

Keywords

process evaluation bullying physical inactivity school-based intervention train the trainer

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Basrur, S. (2004). 2004 Chief Medical Officer of Health report: Healthy weights, healthy lives. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Queens Printer for Ontario.

Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute. (2004). Increasing physical activity: Assessing trends from 1998-2003. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Author.

Health Canada. (2002). Canada's physical activity guide to healthy active living for children. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Katzmarzyk, P.T. (2002). The Canadian obesity epidemic: An historical perspective . Obesity Research, 10, 666-674.

Millen, D. (2004). Towards a bully free Canada (Ontario Health Promotion E-Mail Bulletin 382.1). Retrieved October 15, 2004, from http:///www.ohpe.ca/ebulletin/submit.html

Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.

Pepler, D.J. , & Craig, W.M. (1997). Bullying: Research and interventions (Youth Update) . Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Institute for the Study of Antisocial Youth.

Pepler, D.J. , Craig, W.M. , Ziegler, S. , & Charach, A. (1994). Bullying: A community problem. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 13, 95-110.

Porteous, N. , Sheldrick, B. , & Stewart, P. (1997). Program evaluation tool kit: A blueprint for public health management. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Public Health Research, Education and Development Program, Ottawa-Carleton Health Department.

10.

Public Health Research, Education and Development Program. (2001). Effective public health practice project summary statement for practitioners/managers. Dundas, Ontario, Canada: Author.

11.

Whitney, I. , & Smith, P.K. (1993). A survey of the nature and extent of bullying in junior/middle and secondary schools. Educational Research , 35, 3-25.