Browsing by Person "Gibson, Ann-Marie"

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A feasibility study with process evaluation of a teacher led resource to improve measures of child health
(PLOS, 2019-07-02) Buchan, Duncan S.; Donnelly, Samantha; McLellan, Gillian; Gibson, Ann-Marie; Arthur, Rosie
Previous school-based interventions have produced positive effects upon measures of children’s health and wellbeing but such interventions are often delivered by external experts which result in short-term effects. Thus, upskilling and expanding the resources available to classroom teachers could provide longer-term solutions. This paper presents a feasibility study of an online health resource (Healthy Schools Resource: HSR) developed to assist primary school teachers in the delivery of health-related education. Four schools (n = 2 intervention) participated in this study. Study feasibility was assessed by recruitment, retention and completion rates of several outcomes including height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure and several metabolic markers including HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and dietary knowledge following a 10-12-week intervention period. The process evaluation involved fidelity checks of teachers’ use of the HSR and post-intervention teacher interviews. A total of 614 consent forms were issued and 267 were returned (43%), of which, 201 confirmed consent for blood sampling (75%). Retention of children participating in the study was also high (96%). Of the 13 teachers who delivered the intervention to the children, four teachers were excluded from further analyses as they did not participate in the fidelity checks. Overall, teachers found the online resource facilitative of teaching health and wellbeing and several recommendations regarding the resource were provided to inform further evaluations. Recruitment and retention rates suggest that the teacher led intervention is feasible and acceptable to both teachers, parents and children. Initial findings provide promising evidence that given a greater sample size, a longer intervention exposure period and changes made to the resource, teachers’ use of HSR could enhance measures of health and wellbeing in children.
An insight into parent Involvement in Scottish Primary School Health Education activities
(International Society for Physical Activity and Health, 2018-10) Donnelly, Samantha; Buchan, Duncan; Gibson, Ann-Marie; Arthur, Rosie
Introduction: Childhood overweight and obesity is prevalent worldwide with Scottish children amongst the least active in the world. School-based physical activity interventions involving parents have found success, however limited research exists regarding the best methods to involve parents in these interventions. Socioeconomic status has been found to mediate parent involvement. Therefore, the aim of this study was to interview parents from a low socioeconomic status (SES) to gains insights into their involvement in school-based health activities. Methods: Parents (n = 132) were recruited from five schools. Parents (n = 24) were identified based on the following criteria; being the mother of the child, from a Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 1 or 2 and scoring low on the Family Involvement Questionnaire- Elementary. Parents (n = 16) agreed to be interviewed. An inductive approach to hierarchical analysis was employed. Results: From the transcripts, 130 first-, 16 second-, and 6 third-order themes emerged. Whilst the influence of children and family can encourage parents to be involved in school-based activities, there are several barriers which result in them being less-involved. The importance of home-school relationships, and the efforts parents and schools play in encouraging parent involvement was evident. Discussion: It is clear that parents of low SES are less-involved in school-based activities. Barriers to their involvement include lack of confidence and additional responsibilities. Our findings indicate that many of these barriers can be overcome based on the recommendations within this study which can help inform future school-based interventions.
An insight into the involvement of mothers of low socioeconomic status in Scottish primary school health education activities
(SAGE, 2019-08-28) Donnelly, Samantha; Buchan, Duncan S.; Gibson, Ann-Marie; McLellan, Gillian; Arthur, Rosie
School-based health activities that involve parents are more likely to be effective for child health and well-being than activities without a parent component. However, such school-based interventions tend to recruit the most motivated parents, and limited evidence exists surrounding the involvement of hard-to-reach parents with low socioeconomic status (SES). Mothers remain responsible for the majority of family care; therefore, this study investigated mothers with low SES to establish the reasons and barriers to their involvement in school-based health activities and to propose strategies to increase their involvement in those activities. Interviews were conducted with mothers with low SES, who were typically not involved in school-based health activities (n = 16). An inductive–deductive approach to hierarchical analysis revealed that there are several barriers resulting in mothers being less involved, particularly due to issues surrounding the schools’ Parent Councils and the exclusivity of school-based events. Efforts made by the school to promote health activities and involve parents in such activities were revealed, alongside recommendations to improve on these practices. The findings offer multiple ways in which future school-based health interventions can recruit and involve mothers with low SES.
A qualitative exploration of parent perceptions and involvement within school-based physical activity and health and wellbeing activities
(British Psychological Society, 2017-12-11) Donnelly, Samantha; Arthur, Rosie; Buchan, Duncan; Gibson, Ann-Marie
Objectives Physical activity and health interventions involving both schools and parents have potential to be effective. However, little is known about the most effective methods to encourage parent involvement in such interventions. Therefore, this study was undertaken to obtain parent perceptions of current school-based physical activity and health practices, informing the design of future school-based interventions in Scotland involving parents. Design Parents (n=11) were recruited from two primary schools in Scotland, participating in a focus group (n=7), telephone interviews (n=2) and face-to-face interviews (n=2). Methods An inductive Social Constructivist analytical approach was taken, which developed explanations and ideas surrounding parent involvement in health and wellbeing, rather than examining pre-conceived themes or hypotheses. Results Parents highlighted positive school-based health activities such as the variety of sports clubs provided whilst raising concerns including aspects of; playtime physical activity levels and walk-to-school initiatives. This study also highlighted barriers to parental involvement in school health and wellbeing activities, not previously seen in research, such as; health and safety issues, issues regarding the relationship between parents and schools, and social anxieties. Furthermore, recommendations to improve parental involvement in these activities included; improving parent-school communication, increasing parent-led activities and varying the timing of events. Conclusions The findings from this study indicate that altering school practices and improving parent-school communication could be effective ways to increase parent involvement in school-based health and physical activity interventions.