Graduation Date
12-2013
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department or Program
Education
Department or Program Chair
Lisa Ray, PhD
First Reader
Debra Polack, MA
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze whether or not schools can have an impact on student knowledge of health and fitness if they implement programs that educate students in that content area. This study gathered information, via student questionnaires, from two school sites, to compare student knowledge at a school that implemented a health and fitness program with one that did not. The review of literature focused on current and passed data that emphasized the need for educating society on health trends, resulting impacts of unhealthy lifestyles i.e. obesity rates and diabetes, and the best venue for addressing and making changes in current health trends. The resulting data confirmed the hypothesis: Student health knowledge is higher in schools that provide health/fitness programs than those that do not, to be true. The data was statistically significant revealing that site A (the intervention site) yielded an average of 83-86% knowledge in health and fitness awareness and site B an average of 40-43% knowledge in that subject area.