| Description |
Founded in 2009 by Jacob Franklin and John Asher, Running Forward, is a non-profit organization that encourages healthy lifestyle choices in elementary school aged boys and girls by emphasizing nutrition, physical fitness, and personal growth through a mentality of empowerment. Running is the primary tool utilized with Running Forward participants to enhance fitness and serve as a strategy to promote healthy lifestyle. With weekly group runs, Running Forward currently operates at four elementary schools with approximately 150 children enrolled. Training is directed toward various events throughout the year, including an end-of-year 5k race. There is little accepted research that evaluates the direct effects and outcomes of a sustainable community driven, fitness-focused program. To aid this area of research, a non-randomized, intervention study was proposed. During its second successful year of operating in Title I elementary schools in Salt Lake City, a desire to quantify the program's impact and measurable results led to some pilot testing. In the program's third year, the Running Forward assessment has been initiated. As principle investigator, Jacob Franklin has worked closely with Drs. Joy and Hannon, and other faculty in the University Of Utah Division Of Public Health to develop the protocol and necessary documents. Study participants (both control and intervention children) will be asked to complete an age appropriate survey that has been previously tested and validated. This SPARK Student Survey will measure self-image and physical activity. This study has been recently approved by the Salt Lake School District and the University of Utah Institutional Review Board. |
