Soccer Smoking & Prevention

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Brazilian women's soccer star Sissi. Photo by Phil Stephens, courtesy of Women's Soccer World. 32 The Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook

B est O f fense Is a Good E v alua tion

"I have had the most wonderful experience watching children in grades pre-K-12 realize that fitness and tobacco do not mix. Florida has 39 projects in schools across the state this year fighting obesity and tobacco. Students learn about keeping fit through fitness centers and sports. They also learn that tobacco has no place in the fit and healthy person, as the following comments show: 'Fitness helps me by making me proud of myself. It made me lose pounds. The tobacco talk made me believe I can make the b-ball team. I'm glad I made the choice not to smoke.' -Tia, 4th Grade ' I have learned why smoking is bad. I am going to help my grandmom quit smoking.' -T.C., 3rd Grade "It's words such as these that keep me working in the field of health and physical education. Helping children to avoid tobacco and stay fit is a matter of life and death for our society." -M illie Kissinger Projec t Direc tor Center for the Study of Teaching and Learning Florida State Universit y

BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD EVALUATION Two tobacco-free sports programs that have been evaluated are described: Gymnast Dominique fitness concepts, and attitudes toward Dawes is an Olympic participation in physical fitness? gold medalist and US national champion. . To what extent does participation in Photo by Doug Evaluation of the American Heart the program affect the students' Pensinger/Allsport. Association Youth Fitness and incidence of tobacco use, including Tobacco Education/Prevention the decision not to use tobacco in Program the first place and the decision to Florida Department of Health stop tobacco use completely? and Florida State University . What are the characteristics of suc-Tallahassee, Florida cessful program sites? (850) 644-3419 Strengths and Weaknesses This program aims to improve the Revealed overall health of Florida's children, pri-. Students in elementary school and marily by increasing the amount of middle school showed a signifi­time students in Florida schools partici-cant increase in knowledge about pate in regular fitness activities, reduc-fitness. Elementary school stu­ing the number of kids who currently dents' scores improved 8.2%, use or eventually will use tobacco, and and middle school students' reducing the number of kids who are scores increased 16.7%. exposed to secondhand smoke. To . Elementary school students learn more about the program's per-showed significant fitness formance for the previous two years improvements on three of and areas where improvements could four fitness measures after be made, the health department hired participating in the fitness a team of professional evaluators, program. Middle and high Curva and Associates. Students were school students showed tested before and after they participat-significant fitness improve-ed in the project to assess how ments on two of four fitness increased fitness activities affected measures after participating tobacco use. (See teacher instructions in the program. and sample survey, pages 37-39.) . Of all students who were smokers before the pro-Questions Addressed gram, 36.7% of high The evaluators asked the kids ques-school students, 60% of tions about tobacco use, attitudes, and middle school students, knowledge, and about fitness attitudes and 100% of elementary and knowledge. They also assessed students had quit smoking students' physical fitness before and when they were surveyed after the program. They wanted to after the program. address these main questions: . To what extent does participation in the program affect the students' physical fitness levels, knowledge of The Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook 35 . There was a statistically significant 9.3% increase in tobacco knowledge among elementary students who participated in the fitness program for one year, and no such increase for the comparison groups. . Knowledge about tobacco use increased 26% among elementary students who had participated in the fitness program for two years. . Knowledge about fitness increased 31% among elementary students who had participated in the fitness program for two years. . A characteristic of successful pro­gram sites was collaboration between teachers, school health programs, schools, community-based youth programs, private industries, and local public health organizations. . School programs that had integrated fitness into other subject areas had the strongest effects on fitness, health, and academic achievement.