A B S T R A C T
The present study examined the effectiveness of the Kid’s Choice Program (KCP) for increasing children’s
weight management behaviors, and decreasing body mass index percentile (BMI%) for overweight and
average-weight children. It also evaluated KCP characteristics relevant to long-termapplication in schools.
Participants included 382 children assigned to two groups: a KCP group that received token rewards for
three ‘‘Good Health Behaviors’’ including eating fruits or vegetables first at meals (FVFIRST), choosing lowfat
and low-sugar healthy drinks (HDRINK), and showing 5000 exercise steps recorded on pedometers
(EXERCISE), or a control group that received token rewards for three ‘‘Good Citizenship Behaviors.’’ School
lunch observations and pedometer records were completed for one month under baseline and three
months under reward conditions. The school nurse calculated children’s BMI% one year before baseline, at
baseline, at the end of KCP application, and six months later. The KCP increased FVFIRST, HDRINK, and
EXERCISE from baseline through reward conditions, with ANCOVAs demonstrating that these increases
were associated with both the offer of reward and nearby peermodels. Overweight (n = 112) and averageweight
(n = 200) children showed drops in BMI% after the three-month KCP, but overweight children regained
weight sixmonths later, suggesting the need formore ongoing KCP application.HDRINK choice was
the behavior most associated with BMI% drops for overweight children. Small teams of parent volunteers
effectively delivered the KCP, and school staff endorsed parent volunteers as the best personnel to deliver
the KCP, which costs approximately two U.S. dollars per child per month of application.
A B S T R A C T
The present study examined the effectiveness of the Kid’s Choice Program (KCP) for increasing children’s
weight management behaviors, and decreasing body mass index percentile (BMI%) for overweight and
average-weight children. It also evaluated KCP characteristics relevant to long-termapplication in schools.
Participants included 382 children assigned to two groups: a KCP group that received token rewards for
three ‘‘Good Health Behaviors’’ including eating fruits or vegetables first at meals (FVFIRST), choosing lowfat
and low-sugar healthy drinks (HDRINK), and showing 5000 exercise steps recorded on pedometers
(EXERCISE), or a control group that received token rewards for three ‘‘Good Citizenship Behaviors.’’ School
lunch observations and pedometer records were completed for one month under baseline and three
months under reward conditions. The school nurse calculated children’s BMI% one year before baseline, at
baseline, at the end of KCP application, and six months later. The KCP increased FVFIRST, HDRINK, and
EXERCISE from baseline through reward conditions, with ANCOVAs demonstrating that these increases
were associated with both the offer of reward and nearby peermodels. Overweight (n = 112) and averageweight
(n = 200) children showed drops in BMI% after the three-month KCP, but overweight children regained
weight sixmonths later, suggesting the need formore ongoing KCP application.HDRINK choice was
the behavior most associated with BMI% drops for overweight children. Small teams of parent volunteers
effectively delivered the KCP, and school staff endorsed parent volunteers as the best personnel to deliver
the KCP, which costs approximately two U.S. dollars per child per month of application.
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