Health Research Center
Evaluating Childhood Obesity Components of West Virginia House Bill 2816
Data Sources
1. Surveys of School Personnel. Because the legislation had the potential to impact school personnel at many levels, it was important to obtain information from a variety of sources, including both school administrators who are responsible for creating and enforcing policies, and teachers and other staff who work with the students on a day-to-day basis. To obtain this broad view, the following groups were surveyed:
- All superintendents
- All principals of traditional schools
- All school nurses
- The lead physical education teacher in each traditional school
2. Interviews with Students and Parents. Parents ofstudents inkindergarten and grades 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9 and students in grades 5, 7, and9were contacted by phone and asked to participate in an interview about changes in school policies and student health. In order to ensure a representative sample:
(a) interviews were conducted in all 55 counties,
(b) an equal number of parents (and students) were interviewed for each of the grades selected
(c) the number of interviews conducted was proportional to the size of the schools attended by students.
3. Surveys of Health Care Providers. Healthcare provider surveys  were sent to a
random sample of more than 600 health care providers identified from state databases and membership lists.
Data Obtained from Surveys and Interviews
Informant Group |
Evaluation Areas |
School Personnel |
1. Knowledge/impressions of school policies/practices related to HB2816 and the implementation of the bill
2. Perceived impact of policies and practices on students, school personnel, and school environment |
Students |
1. Knowledge/impressions of school policies/practices related to HB2816
2. Current dietary and physical activity attitudes, practices and intentions
3. BMI assessment and reporting participation, impressions, and consequences |
Parents |
1. Knowledge/impressions of school policies/practices related to HB2816
2. Family dietary and physical activity, attitudes, practices and intentions
3. BMI assessment and reporting participation, impressions, and planned or experienced consequences |
Health Care Providers |
1. Knowledge and attitudes regarding core provisions of HB2816
2. Current practices regarding childhood obesity
3. Observed impact of HB2816 on practice |
4. Existing Department of Education Data. In addition to  the survey data collected from school personnel, families, and health care providers, existing data maintained by the WV Department of Education were reviewed and incorporated into this evaluation. These data include: (a) PE plans, (b) health education assessments, (c) fitness evaluations, and (d) Local Wellness Policies.
a. Physical Education Plans: Each year, every elementary and middle school principal is required to report their school’s status in implementing the PE time requirements of the Healthy Lifestyles Act. Principals indicate whether their school meets the PE time requirement, the minutes of PE offered, the reason for the shortfall in minutes (if any), and an alternate plan to make up the difference.
b. Health Education Assessment Project (HEAP): Each year students in grades 6, 8, and the high school health education class complete a 40 item (multiple choice) health education assessment via an online system developed by SmartTrack™. Questions include the health education content areas of nutrition, physical activity (PA), growth and development, alcohol and other drugs, tobacco, injury prevention, and mental health.
c. FITNESSGRAM®: FITNESSGRAM® is a health-related fitness evaluation package that determines students’ fitness levels based on what is considered to be optimal for good health. As part of each school’s year-end report, principals indicate the number of students (by grade level) in and out of the Healthy Fitness Zone for each FITNESSGRAM® component (aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility).
d. Local Wellness Policies (LWPs): The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (CNRA; Public Law 108-265) mandated the creation of Local Wellness Policies for each local educational district that participated in the National School Lunch program. The LWPs were mandated to include, at a minimum, the following components: Goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness, nutrition guidelines for all foods available on campus during the school day, guidelines for reimbursable school meals, a plan for measuring implementation of the LWP, and community involvement, in the development of the policy.
 5. BMI Representativeness Data. The BMI data provided by CARDIAC were collected from a subset of the students who were eligible to be measured in kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th grade because during the 2007-08 school year, measurements were taken only for those students whose parents provided written permission. The proportion of students with parental permission ranged from 35% in kindergarten to almost 40% in 2nd and 5th grades. Because the BMI measurements were not universal (that is, conducted on all students) or based on a randomly drawn sample, questions arose regarding whether the BMI data could be considered representative of the state.
Consequently, the representativeness of the CARDIAC assessment of BMI was examined using a cluster sample of 5th grade students from public schools across the state. Height and weight for the 5th grade students in these schools were assessed by physical education teachers enrolled in the Health and Physical Education Leadership Academies, following the CARDIAC measurement protocols. BMI was then calculated from measured height and body weight. Data from each of these sources is available in the Reports.
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