The program s goal is to a prevent decline in physical activity levels and to increase levels of heart health in middle school girls. A test run of the program will take place primarily in Orleans and Jefferson Parish public schools, beginning in late March and early April. The Tulane program is one of five in the nation funded by the National Institutes of Health for this work, which represents a novel approach to encouraging physical activity in the population.
Girls are twice as likely as boys to shirk participation in physical activity as they age.
The program will place a priority on developing a curriculum of interest to girls, accompanied by after-school opportunities for exercise. Lakesha Stevenson, formerly a health educator with Great Expectations Foundation, Inc., and Patricia King, formerly program coordinator of the cardiovascular health program with the Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Public Health, joined the team this month. They will be responsible for developing curriculum materials, training teachers and staff, and building community support.