Oklahoma State Department of Health

Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH)

With more and more parents having to work during the hours after their children are released from school, after-school programs play an important roll in today’s society. The 2001 Before- and After- School Programs and Activities Survey conducted by the National Household Education Surveys Program reported approximately 50% of children kindergarten through eighth grade were in an after-school program with about 19% of those being center- or school-based programs. Children spent an average of 7.5 hours per week participating in programs in these settings. According to the same survey, the top three reported activities for center- or school-based programs were homework/ school-related/educational, outdoor play/activities/sports, and arts.¹

According to the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the percent of children in the overweight category are on the rise in every age group.² With this dramatic increase, steps need to be taken to help Oklahoma’s children to begin to eat better and move more where they live, work, and learn. As part of Governor Brad Henry’s Strong and Healthy Oklahoma Initiative, an initiative to encourage all Oklahomans to eat better, move more and be tobacco free where they live, work, and learn, the Oklahoma State Department of Health Community Development Service (CDS) has implemented the Coordinated Approach to Child Health Kids Club (CKC) in after-school programs across the state in order to educate and motivate children to eat better and move more where they learn for part of their day and to further encourage positive nutrition and physical activity changes where they live.

The CKC uses a colorful story called Hearty Heart's Journey to the Planet Earth to introduce and teach children about healthy food choices and physical activity habits necessary to promote healthy lives and healthy bodies. The main character of the story is called Hearty Heart, who is from a planet called Strongheart, where he goes to school to learn about healthy living. CKC is divided into 32 nutrition lessons including snack preparation/ taste-testing and physical activity sessions.³

The curriculum uses a variety of education strategies, including large group discussions, educational games and activities, goal setting, and hands-on snack preparation and taste-testing. Each session contains detailed descriptions of the procedure for presenting each activity, with direct questions and/or statements to students enclosed in boxes within the session descriptions. An integral component of the CKC Program is the Family Component. Parental involvement contributes to the effectiveness of positive changes in eating and physical activity behaviors, and the family component reinforces this involvement. In the CKC parental involvement is encouraged through the CATCH Curriculum Home Letters. All home letter materials are in English and Spanish.³

The CKC program in Oklahoma will undergo an extensive evaluation throughout the 3-year pilot. Timelines for the evaluation can be found in the Evaluation Calendar found at the bottom of this page. Further, most of the evaluation materials can be found on this site as well.

References:

Kleiner B, Nolin MJ, Chapman C. Before- and After-School Care, Programs, and Activities for Children in Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade: 2001; NCES 2004-008. Washington, DC; 2004. Available from U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 14, 2007.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents: United States, 2003-2004. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/overweight/overwght_child_03.htm#Table 1. Accessed May 14, 2007.
Coordinated Approach to Child Health Kids Club. Retrieved July 18, 2007, from University of Texas, School of Public Health at Houston Web site: https://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/catch/KidsClub.htm

CATCH Kids Club Evaluation Forms:

Informed Consent

After-School Program Enrollment Summary Form

After-School Program Student Questionnaire - Please contact the Community Development Service Epidemiologist for this item. See contact information below.

Biometrics Log

CATCH Kids Club Team Checklist

CATCH Kids Club Evaluation Calendar (Written Schedule)

CATCH Kids Club Due Dates 2008-09

CATCH Kids Club Educator and Partner Questionnaire - Please contact the Community Development Service Epidemiologist for this item. See contact information below.

SOFIT materials - Please contact the Community Development Service Epidemiologist for this item. See contact information below.

Contact Information:
1000 NE 10th Street, Room 508
Oklahoma City 73117-1299
Phone: (405) 271-6127
Fax: (405) 271-1225

	OSDH Home > Community Health > Community Development Service > Health Promotion > CATCH
	email \| print Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) With more and more parents having to work during the hours after their children are released from school, after-school programs play an important roll in today’s society. The 2001 Before- and After- School Programs and Activities Survey conducted by the National Household Education Surveys Program reported approximately 50% of children kindergarten through eighth grade were in an after-school program with about 19% of those being center- or school-based programs. Children spent an average of 7.5 hours per week participating in programs in these settings. According to the same survey, the top three reported activities for center- or school-based programs were homework/ school-related/educational, outdoor play/activities/sports, and arts.¹ According to the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the percent of children in the overweight category are on the rise in every age group.² With this dramatic increase, steps need to be taken to help Oklahoma’s children to begin to eat better and move more where they live, work, and learn. As part of Governor Brad Henry’s Strong and Healthy Oklahoma Initiative, an initiative to encourage all Oklahomans to eat better, move more and be tobacco free where they live, work, and learn, the Oklahoma State Department of Health Community Development Service (CDS) has implemented the Coordinated Approach to Child Health Kids Club (CKC) in after-school programs across the state in order to educate and motivate children to eat better and move more where they learn for part of their day and to further encourage positive nutrition and physical activity changes where they live. The CKC uses a colorful story called Hearty Heart's Journey to the Planet Earth to introduce and teach children about healthy food choices and physical activity habits necessary to promote healthy lives and healthy bodies. The main character of the story is called Hearty Heart, who is from a planet called Strongheart, where he goes to school to learn about healthy living. CKC is divided into 32 nutrition lessons including snack preparation/ taste-testing and physical activity sessions.³ The curriculum uses a variety of education strategies, including large group discussions, educational games and activities, goal setting, and hands-on snack preparation and taste-testing. Each session contains detailed descriptions of the procedure for presenting each activity, with direct questions and/or statements to students enclosed in boxes within the session descriptions. An integral component of the CKC Program is the Family Component. Parental involvement contributes to the effectiveness of positive changes in eating and physical activity behaviors, and the family component reinforces this involvement. In the CKC parental involvement is encouraged through the CATCH Curriculum Home Letters. All home letter materials are in English and Spanish.³ The CKC program in Oklahoma will undergo an extensive evaluation throughout the 3-year pilot. Timelines for the evaluation can be found in the Evaluation Calendar found at the bottom of this page. Further, most of the evaluation materials can be found on this site as well. References: Kleiner B, Nolin MJ, Chapman C. Before- and After-School Care, Programs, and Activities for Children in Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade: 2001; NCES 2004-008. Washington, DC; 2004. Available from U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 14, 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents: United States, 2003-2004. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/overweight/overwght_child_03.htm#Table 1. Accessed May 14, 2007. Coordinated Approach to Child Health Kids Club. Retrieved July 18, 2007, from University of Texas, School of Public Health at Houston Web site: https://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/catch/KidsClub.htm CATCH Kids Club Evaluation Forms: Informed Consent After-School Program Enrollment Summary Form After-School Program Student Questionnaire - Please contact the Community Development Service Epidemiologist for this item. See contact information below. Biometrics Log CATCH Kids Club Team Checklist CATCH Kids Club Evaluation Calendar (Written Schedule) CATCH Kids Club Due Dates 2008-09 CATCH Kids Club Educator and Partner Questionnaire - Please contact the Community Development Service Epidemiologist for this item. See contact information below. SOFIT materials - Please contact the Community Development Service Epidemiologist for this item. See contact information below. Contact Information: 1000 NE 10th Street, Room 508 Oklahoma City 73117-1299 Phone: (405) 271-6127 Fax: (405) 271-1225

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