Club CHOICE Plus: Choosing Healthy Options in a Challenging Economy

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

Club CHOICE Plus is an eight week series of exercise and health education classes for English and Spanish speaking women and their children. Club Choice Plus began in the Spring of 2009. This Human Capital Development initiative is family centered and is a multidisciplinary effort including 4-H Cooperative Extension staff for the children’s program and a Nutritionist, a Public Health Educator, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, an Interpreter and a Social Worker for the women’s program. Faith based and community at large volunteers assist each week. The purpose of Club CHOICE Plus is to engage families in the promotion of wellness and healthy lifestyles through personal empowerment, education, physical activity and nutrition. Classes are held separately for the women and children. The standardized curriculum was created through a partnership with the UNC School of Public Health. Classes include healthy food choices, reading food labels, behavior management in weight loss and encourages lifestyle changes to maintain healthy habits. Participants end each evening with a Zumba class and healthy snack. Outcomes include: 1) Promoting healthy and sustained weight loss; 2) Development of relationships and social support systems; 3) Promoting healthy family options in a challenging economy. Beginning and ending weights are obtained as well as Pre and Post questionnaires. In 2011, 97 women and children participated in the program; 131 participated in 2012 and in 2013, 136 participated. In the fall of 2012, the group of women lost an average of 3.2 pounds during the six-week series and 2.6 pounds in 2013. In 2013 the following behavior changes were reported. • Changing to low fat or skim milk (of those who drank milk) • Increase in eating healthier snacks • Decrease in baking cookies, cake or pies at home • Increase in using artificial sweeteners Club CHOICE continues to exceed all staff expectations and provides a valuable service to the community through free exercise and health education classes. Plans are underway now for the 2014 spring session.