Scouting Nutrition and Activity Program

Girls and parents affiliated with Girl Scouts Juniors programs completed a questionnaire prior to the beginning of an intervention program, and again after the program. Children responded to previously validated questionnaire items assessing demographics, parent-child connectedness, parent-child physical activity, screen time usage, family meal-time environment, consumption of fruits and vegetables, soda, and fast food. Parents completed a similar questionnaire, assessing demographics, parent-child connectedness, parent-child physical activity, family mealtime environment, parenting style and parenting practices. Children were also assessed on height and weight to characterize their risk for overweight status. Questionnaires and environmental observations were used to assess the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve the family meal-time environment at home, as well as helping to assess the relationships between parental factors and family health-related behavior.

Inclusion criteria

• Girls had to be attending members of Girl Scouts in one of our included troops.
• The troop needed to be a registered Girl Scouts Juniors troop, consisting of girls primarily in the 4th and 5th grades.
• To be officially registered, the troop leaders were required to complete Girl Scout leader training and pass a criminal background check.
• To be included, the troops also needed to meet at least twice per month, have meeting facilities capable of allowing physical activity and food preparation.
• Also, troops needed to have initial agreement of leaders and parents for the troop to participate in a research study.

Exclusion criteria

• An inability to speak or read English.
• Troops not primarily composed of Girl Scouts Juniors, not regularly meeting during the study period, or not having leader and parental consensus approval for troop participation.