[Iskander] Hello, I'm Dr. John Iskandar.
Welcome to CDC Beyond the Data.
I'm here today with Mickey Duran Health
and Human Performance Program Lead
for the Appleton School District in Wisconsin.
Welcome Mickey.
[Duran] Hi.
Thank you for having me John.
[Iskander] So at today's Public Health Grand Rounds
on Prevention of Childhood Obesity,
you gave a fascinating talk called "The Health
and Academics Connection".
So briefly, what is that connection,
and how have you worked to implement
that in the Appleton School District?
[Duran] I think, as I said in my presentation that, you know,
when we talk about public health and we talk
about academics those two worlds don't typically collide.
The schools are really worried about their academic outcomes.
We're worried about health and, you know,
the impact to the community and society where we are
in the schools looking to create citizens.
And we're looking to create healthy citizens.
I think one of the statistics where we talk about,
that wasn't in there, but we talk about how kids are not,
potentially might not outlive their parents.
We think about that in schools
and how that's really a tremendous statement.
You think about all the scientific advancements
that we have made, and that is not gonna overcome what they are
doing physically to their bodies.
So even if they become the best scientist.
If we are creating Albert Einstein's
and we're creating all these other people
that have the knowledge but they don't have the ability to enjoy
that life, they're not going
to influence our culture the way that we want.
So it is how those two things come together, and I think,
you know, in looking at the data that I presented and we talk
about how it does impact how kids think,
how they move it's very important.
The physical activity that they have,
how it gets their brains ready to move,
how it helps them emotionally be more stable
to be more present in classrooms.
It reduces behavior.
I think if you talk about anybody in schools right now,
they'll talk about behavior issues
that they have with their students.
But it's really because it goes back to their physiological way
that they're just not prepared to be at school or to listen.
And I think that when schools understand that there is
that connection and that we do need to make sure
that were providing a healthy environment for them
that it helps them and the students to be better.
So they do work together.
[Iskander] So you said and the approach you've taken,
as shown in your talk,
really kind of a very CDC way you started gathering some data
on all different grades really from K through 12.
What did that data show, and what kind of actions did
that lead to in the schools?
[Duran] So we were a part of a study with our department
of public instruction, and we, you know, looking from the data
that you produce that says that kids really are too sedentary.
So they wanted to go out and quantify that.
So using the accelerometers,
we put accelerometers on our students.
So we picked homerooms in the elementary, the middle school,
and high school, and we had them wear it for a week
and the whole time that they were in school.
So we can actually quantify how much they're actually moving
in school, and that's where we learns
where the kids were active.
That recess is where most of the students get a lot
of their activity in the elementary day.
It's sporadic where we talk about active classrooms.
That means, how do we get the kids up so
that they're better ready to move?
In the middle school and high school,
we found that their greatest place
that they got activity during the day was during their passing
times between classrooms, and so,
that has an impact on their academics.
It has an impact on their emotional output,
so that was very interesting data
that was revealed in that study.
[Iskander] And I think one of the actions that was taken,
right, was to really much more promote this idea
of the fit, the fit classroom.
Could you just describe for us a little bit kind of what
that looks like and who's involved in implementing that?
[Duran] We talk about the fit classroom.
One of the things I talked about was Fit in 15.
And I think it's just really how we are, and when I talk
about that, it's how that we try to make kids
so that they're ready to learn.
On the more vigorously physical active that they are,
the better that their brains are ready to learn
and understand what's going on.
So we try to make sure that we have opportunities
that are built in for our teachers that they can go
and get the kids vigorously active
for two 15 minute segments in addition
to their physical education time.
The other thing that we really work on,
which is called active classrooms.
Right, so there is a certain point.
Like even if we're sitting here or somebody is listening to this
and it's past 19 minutes, for an adult, they aren't going
to pay attention to anything
that we're saying no matter how great were doing it.
And that's just that their brains are closing down
or powering down as I tell other people
like your phone has that time.
That's what their brains do.
So we need to make sure we talked about active classrooms,
that we're getting them up, that their brains sort
of turn back on, so that they can understand the information
that you're telling them.
So it helped us to provide that information
and said "If these kids are sitting this long there,
they're like their phones.
They're shut off.
They're in power mode, so there's not a lot
of information that's going in.
So it helps them to regulate, and that's how we pass
that information along.
And those are the strategies obviously that the CDC promotes.
[Iskander] Yeah, and I thought
in your presentation you really did a great job
of integrating real world data from your schools,
information that we've learned from neuroscience
about the mental benefits of physical activity, and, again,
that idea of really involving not just the PE teachers
but really the whole faculty in that.
I wonder if you could talk also a little bit about some
of the ways that you've lead your school district
in involving families and the community
in physical activity and nutrition.
[Duran] So, we actually do have this longstanding it's called
"Education for Healthy Kids",
and we know that if we don't engage the full community
that we're not gonna be successful.
So the way that we view all
of our schools are kind of like a family.
So if we are a family and you come over to my house
for Thanksgiving it's like we will enjoy the same kind
of food.
It's a little bit different, but we can talk the same language.
We think of our schools that way too, so that they know exactly
when they're reaching out to their community,
what their parents are going to be like,
what their students are going to be like,
so that's where we offer a lot of different activities
that are designed for their communities.
Whether it's a family fun night where they come in and open
up their gyms where they invite the families in, pumpkin runs,
walks, we offer, there's just so many different things
that they do for them that way.
And then, we also offer ways for students to connect whether it's
through intramurals, ski clubs, walk clubs.
I think one of the most interesting things that we do,
we've also partnered with the community is called,
there's a variety of them, but there's a couple that stand out.
One is "Family Dinner Night".
We know that if the family eats together that alone, you know,
increases nutritional value in the home,
reduces a lot of at risk behavior.
So we partnered with, it's called "The Weight
of the Valley" in our area
where that's a statewide obesity network.
But they work with us, and that we work with them
that they help fund so that we can bring a nutritionist,
they bring in a chef, and we get our families together
at our different schools.
And they teach them how to prepare a meal, and then,
they understand the health benefits
and then the benefits of eating together.
So that's one example of how we do some community things
with our area.
[Iskander] I mean I think those are both great examples
of again taking the resources available to the school
or physically at the school on both of those things.
So maybe we could conclude just by again bringing it back
to putting this all again in the context
of prevention of childhood obesity.
In your view, how does this all connect together?
[Duran] I think that it connects together
because I think it's the best way for us
to really get to the families.
I know that when we always do these programs that people say
"make sure that you doing outreach for families".
When you use specific outreach for families,
our numbers are always really low, but we make sure
that we're educating the child.
And the child has to go home,
and then they talk to their families.
That's where we've seen the biggest change
in behaviors at home.
It also, if we do activities and things you know, families want
to come see what the kids are doing.
So I think that school connection is a way for us
to really, in a meaningful way, educate what's going on at home.
I think that then it also builds that foundation
with which we hope for in all academic areas.
That we're building kids with knowledges, behaviors,
and attitudes about how to live a healthy life.
And I think that one of the mantras that we talk
about in our district is like "How do you make healthy cool?
As cool as a pair jeans that day,
or you know whatever the app is.
How do you make that cool that that is the best thing to do?"
And I think that, that comes through the culture
that hopefully gets created in the schools.
It's not just whether it's a policy or that you do this.
But it's like why are we doing it?
And I hope that we are doing a good job
as saying why we're doing it,
and that that is what impacts our community.
[Iskander] Well, it's to me, it's been really very inspiring
to see that, and again thank you very much for sharing your work
with us in this for amended in Public Health Grand Rounds.
Please join us next time for Beyond the Data.