Assessing Healthy Behavior Recognition in Preschool, Head Start Children.

The purpose of this study was to assess healthy behavior recognition in Head Start, preschool children through picture identification. Participants in the study were 172 children in 7 Head Start centers, in 3 counties in Central Texas. The testing instrument was a booklet containing 30 questions, with 3 pictures per question, of which 1 represented a healthy behavior. Answers were recorded on score sheets by trained observers. Analyses were conducted on differences between gender, ethnicity, and age. Seventy-nine males (46 percent) and 93 females (54 percent) completed the project. The mean correct response for males was 15.9 items, with females averaging 16.2 correct items. Fifty-one 3-year-olds (29.7 percent), 90 4-year-olds (52.3 percent), and 31 5-year-olds (18 percent) participated in the project. The mean correct response for the 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old subjects was 10.9, 17.7, and 19.6 respectively. Twenty-six percent of subjects (n=44) were Caucasian with a mean correct score of 18.7. Hispanic subjects (n=107) represented 62 percent of the population with a mean correct response of 15.1. Twelve percent of the subjects (n=21) were African-American with a mean correct response of 15.5 percent. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences between ethnic groups and age groups. Baseline data from this study can be used to plan and provide health instruction to preschool children, thus expanding the comprehensive school health model to the preschool population. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/ND)