School Health Fairs Show Potential to Improve Short-term Learning

Freedman discusses the advantages of school-based health fairs. School-based health fairs, that include a variety of informational and/or "fun" booths, are examples of Level 1 interventions designed to build awareness of a health or nutritional topic or problem. Designing, implementing, and evaluating a health fair requires considerable resources. Yet recent examination of their efficacy in increasing knowledge is limited. No research has been conducted on preadolescents, a group whose patterns of behavior and food choices may affect their current and future health status. Currently, almost one third of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 are overweight or obese. Less than 10% of females and 25% of males aged 9 to 13 years old meet calcium requirements. This project developed and evaluated a 1-day health fair aimed at increasing knowledge relating to healthful eating and physical activity in a multiethnic group (43% Caucasian, 42% Asian, and 12% Hispanic) of preadolescents attending a large, suburban middle school.