Outcomes Evaluation of the Eagle Adventure Program

Abstract

There is an increasing prevalence of Native American children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a chronic condition that is usually adult-onset. Get Fresh! Eagle Adventure program is a theoretically-based, diabetes primary prevention program that is culturally appropriate for Native American children in grades 1-3. Students were introduced to the program through a live production of the Eagle Adventure play, which was followed by four in-class lessons on health and nutrition. The primary objective of the program is to increase students' knowledge, intent, and preference related to choosing fruits, vegetables, and being more physically active. A pre- and post-survey was administered by trained staff. The outcomes of the program were measured by conducting paired t-tests using IBM SPSS Statistics 19. The program resulted in a statistically significant increase in the children's (n=370) intent to choose physical activities over sedentary activities (pre=6.52, post=7.11; p<0.001), knowledge of physical activities (pre=7.72, post=7.81; p=0.019), preference of consuming vegetables (pre=6.35, post=6.56; p=0.001), and preference of being physically active (pre=8.95, post=9.21; p<0.001).