Autumn 2011.pub - Australian Youth Mentoring Network

Piloting the use of Teen
Mentors to Promote Healthy
Diet and Physical Activity
Smith, Laureen. 2011. “Piloting the use of teen mentors to promote a healthy
diet and physical activity among children in Appalachia.” Journal for Specialists
in Pediatric Nursing 16: 16-26.
T h is a r t ic l e f oc us e s o n r u r a l -d w e l l i n g
child r en in A p p alachia ( U S) and t h e po t e nt ia l
for m e nt o ri ng t o affect diet and ph y s ic a l
activit y given t he h ig h r at es of ob esit y i n t h e
r eg ion.
Th e r es ea r ch e xam i n ed a p r og ra m wh e r e
t e en ag e rs were p aired wit h el em e ntary
s t ud ents w ith t h e “f oc us o n i nc r eas i n g
k nowledge, attit ud e s , s e lf- e fficac y , a n d
p e rc ei v ed c o nt ro l o ve r on e ’s b e havior
r eg arding eat in g h e alt hfully and en gaging i n
r eg ular ph ys ic al act i vi t y ” ( Sm ith 2011: 1 7 ).
S e ve nt y-t w o s t ud e nts i n g r ad es t h r ee a n d
fourth p a rtic i pat e d i n t h e p ro g ram w ith 5 0
p e rc ent of t h e s am p le had a b o d y m ass
ind e x ( B MI ) at o r ab o v e t h e 85 t h p e rc ent ile
at p ret est. Pa rt ic i pa t in g i n t he pr og r a m
in v ol v ed va r i ous act i vi t i es i nclud in g s t o r y
r e a d i n g , c o m p l e t i n g w o r k s h e e t s ,
dem o nstrat ion of act ivit ies b y t h e m e ntor
and ot h e r ac t i v ities.
Sm ith n ot ed t h at t he p r og ra m d id n ot im p a c t
on t h e s t ud e nts’ i nt e ntion t o pa rt ic i pat e i n
r e g u l a r p h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y d e s p i t e t h e
em ph as is wit hin the m ent o r in g re l ation s hips .
In t e rms o f t r en d t o wa rd s h e alt h y eat i ng ,
les s t h an half of t h e pa rt ic i pa nts r es po nd e d
t o t h e change. W hile t he r esearch p r o v es
inc o nclus i ve a s t o t h e im p act o f m e nt o ri n g
in child h oo d ob esit y ,
S m i t h s u g g e s t s t h a t p e r h a p s g r e a t e r
dif ferentiation b etween b o ys and girls n e e d
t o b e ac count e d f o r i n o rd e r t o gain a fuller
und e rstanding o f m en t o ri ng as a m et hod t o
chang e diet a nd e n gag em e nt in ph ys ic a l
activit y.
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