Project Energize

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https://hdl.handle.net/10292/14400

Energize, collectively Project Energize (PE) and Under 5 Energize (U5E), is a nutrition and physical activity programme/”way of doing” that has been delivered in Waikato primary schools since 2004 and early childhood centres since 2013. By 2020 over 80,000 children in New Zealand were receiving the Energize programme.

Two innovative measures of the impact of Energize are the time taken for primary-schoolchildren to run 550m and reduction in visible dental decay in 4-year-old children. The first is an audit of a quality control measure undertaken within schools and the second uses the national Before School Check (B4SC) dataset.

In 2015 PE children ran faster than children in 2011. In particular in 2015, boys and Māori boys were faster, as were 7, 8 and 9 year old children. Children attending decile 1, 2, 4 and 6 schools were also faster in 2015. No groups of children in 2015 were slower than in 2011. Between 2013 and 2017 Waikato B4SC data analysis showed that between 2015 and 2017 visible dental decay was more likely in children who were Māori (3.17x), living in high deprivation (1.66x) and male (1.10x) but less likely if attending an U5E-ECC (0.79x). The alternative measures of impact, i.e. decreases or maintenance in time to run and visible dental decay provide construct validity for the effectiveness of Energize and investment in the programme. In addition, the national health survey reports that in 2019 childhood overweight has decreased in the Waikato region in all and Māori children.

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Browsing Project Energize by Author "Williams, MH"

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    Project Energize: Intervention Development and 10 Years of Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity
    (BioMed Central Ltd., 2016) Rush, E; Cairncross, C; Williams, MH; Tseng, M; Coppinger, T; McLennan, S; Latimer, K
    Prevention of childhood obesity is a global priority. The school setting offers access to large numbers of children and the ability to provide supportive environments for quality physical activity and nutrition. This article describes Project Energize, a through-school physical activity and nutrition programme that celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2015 so that it might serve as a model for similar practices, initiatives and policies elsewhere. The programme was envisaged and financed by the Waikato District Health Board of New Zealand in 2004 and delivered by Sport Waikato to 124 primary schools as a randomised controlled trial from 2005 to 2006. The programme has since expanded to include all 242 primary schools in the Waikato region and 70 schools in other regions, including 53,000 children. Ongoing evaluation and development of Project Energize has shown it to be sustainable (ongoing for >10 years), both effective (lower obesity, higher physical fitness) and cost effective (one health related cost quality adjusted life year between $18,000 and $30,000) and efficient ($45/child/year) as a childhood 'health' programme. The programme's unique community-based approach is inclusive of all children, serving a population that is 42 % Ma¯ori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. While the original nine healthy eating and seven quality physical activity goals have not changed, the delivery and assessment processes has been refined and the health service adapted over the 10 years of the programme existence, as well as adapted over time to other settings including early childhood education and schools in Cork in Ireland. Evaluation and research associated with the programme delivery and outcomes are ongoing. The dissemination of findings to politicians and collaboration with other service providers are both regarded as priorities.
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