Helping Girls GLOW: Promoting Fitness Within a Community

Dr. Laura Bruno, Marissa Hazel, Danielle DeGraw

The College of New Jersey
2016

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION RESULTS DISCUSSION

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to
examine the effectiveness of the Girls on the
GLOW program by measuring aerobic endurance
levels, holistic wellness and perceived self-esteem
The study was designed to examine if (1) aerobic fitness and improved Key finding resulting from this study identified beneficial changes
Individual Pacer: Pre and Post
confidence occur as a result of participation in the Girls on the GLOW 80
Pacer 1 in the aerobic endurance capacity levels from pre-to-post
Pacer 2
program, and (2) if parental perceptions offer an accurate measure of such intervention. These findings suggest that as a girl participates in a
60

scores of girls 6-12 years of age. Additionally, confidence. The study assessed the GLOW program, which is located in DYS, like Girls on the GLOW, she may develop a deeper
Mullica Hill, NJ. Approximately 30 girls (6-12 years old) self-selected to

Scores
this study examined the association between
40
commitment to physical activity and, in turn, be more likely to
parental perception and the participants holistic meet once weekly for 75 minutes each, over a period of 8 consecutive weeks 20 engage in a healthy, active lifestyle that promotes health and
wellness and perceived self-esteem score. to engage GLOW training and curriculum. Pre and post-data were collected 0
wellbeing.
Method: Thirty-one girls along with their parent/ throughout the 8 weeks. Subjects completed the FitnessGram PACER test to Participant 1 Participant 3 Participant 5 Participant 7 Participant 9 Participant 11 Participant 13 Participant 15 Participant 17 Participant 19
This study did not find a significant difference between pre-posttest
guardian participated in this study. Paired assess aerobic fitness levels and the Kid-KINDL Quality of Life N Minimum Maximum Mean Standard Deviation scores of overall wellness/quality of life. A possible explanation for
samples t-tests were used to examine the Questionnaire for Children to assess perceived self-esteem and overall this is the length of the intervention. Previous research suggests a
Pacer 1 31 0 70 31.86 16.83
association between pre-post results in all wellness. Parents/guardians were asked to complete the corresponding program must run more than 12 weeks to see growth/improvements
Pacer 2 19 15 80 41.89 20.47
variables. An Independent samples t test analyzed Parents Questionnaire KINDL . in the area of self-esteem/wellness. Next, results from this study
the association between parental perception and Hypothesis 1: As aerobic levels improve, so will confidence (noted as To test the hypothesis that participation in the Girls on the GLOW program would produce greater suggest that parents/guardians perceive their daughters overall
the participants response for both the pre and perceived self-esteem and overall wellness). aerobic endurance levels among participants, a paired-samples t-test was computed. The mean score on wellness similarly to participants self-report. These findings
Hypothesis 2: Parents/guardians will report their daughters to have higher the pretest was 31.86 (sd = 16.83), and the mean on the posttest was 41.89 (sd = 20.47). A significant
posttest. contradict previous research in which parents/guardians perceived
levels of perceived self-esteem and overall wellness than the subjects increase from pretest to posttest was found (t(18) = -2.23, p < .05).
Results: Aerobic endurance levels improved over their daughters overall wellness to be greater than it actually was.
the eight week intervention (t(18) = -2.23, p < .05), report.
Pre and Post: Child KindL Scores These findings suggest that the greatest benefit of an all-girl DYS
but holistic wellness and perceived self-esteem program is not psychosocial gains, but rather greater aerobic
(t(21) = 1.028, p < .05) showed no significant Participants 120
Child Pre Child Post
Participants were (N = 31) elementary school-aged girls ranging in age from endurance levels.
difference. Furthermore parental perception on 6 to 13 years. All participants (n=31) were female.
holistic wellness and perceived self-esteem was Age Statistics: 90

not found to be significant on either the pretest

(t(48) = -.07, p > .05) or the posttest (t(44) = 1.897, p Ages of Participants

> .05). N 31
6
CONCLUSION

Scores
Number of participants 60

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest Mean 8.839 5

that the Girls on the GLOW program is effective Study Limitations and Strengths
Median 9.000
in improving the aerobic endurance levels of
3
30
Population: participants self-selected to join the GLOW
Mode 10.0 program. This may indicate a greater level of motivation to be
participants. Future research should investigate 2

similar programs with a longer intervention SD 1.8636 physically active. The population showed to generally have
duration to better understand if such programs can
0
6 years old 8 years old 10 years old 12 years old 0
supportive families who have already created a high self-esteem
improve the holistic wellness and perceived self-
Participant 1 Participant 3 Participant 5 Participant 7 Participant 9 Participant 11 Participant 13 Participant 15 Participant 17 Participant 19 Participant 21
environment. There might be more of an effect on at-risk youth
esteem of participants. N Mean Std. Deviation low-income urban neighborhoods.
Keywords: all-girl program, self-esteem, Despite these limitations, this investigation builds on previous
aerobic endurance Methods Child Pre Test 22 98.12 9.65 findings by examining both the physical and psychosocial
Child Post Test 22 96.68 11.38 associations of physical activity in the female context, specifically
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a five point numerical rating Likert scale as to how descriptive they were
Promotion. Retrieved from https://health.gov/paguidelines/#nav-dga. 120
intervention, it may be determined that all-girl DYS programs
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topics/positive-youth-development. Parent Pre improve overall wellness and quality of life. Furthermore, future
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research may consider replicating this study to a different sample
Assessment of the Links Between Physical Activity and Self-Esteem in Early Physical well-being items: during the past week, (1) I felt ill and (2) I
group as this participant population is not representative of all girls
90
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demographically diverse population in an effort to confirm or deny
laughed a lot and (2) I felt alone.
Scores

100-110. 60
Sifers, S. K. & Shea, D.N. (2013). Evaluations of Girls on the Run/Girls on Track to the results found herein.
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77-85.
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Activity and Perceived Competence: Does Change in Activity Level Impact Self- The family, functioning : during the past week, (1) I got on well with 30

Perception? Journal of Adolescent Health, 40: 462.e1-462.e8.

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Participant 1 Participant 3 Participant 5 Participant 7 Participant 9 Participant 11 Participant 13 Participant 15 Participant 17
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Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport. (2007). Developing lessons and (2) I worried about my future. It was hypothesized that parents/guardians would perceive their daughters to have greater self-esteem
physically active girls: An evidence-based multidisciplinary approach. The 2007 and quality of life than the girls reported. To test this hypothesis, an independent samples t test was
Tucker Center Research Report, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, MN. The Parents version of the Kid KINDL mirrors the Childrens calculated comparing the mean score of parental perception to child perception on overall wellness
Retrieved from http://www.cehd.umn.edu/tuckercenter/library/docs/research/2007- Questionnaire, with its 24 items in 6 dimensions. and quality of life. No significant difference was found in either the pretest t(48) = -.07, p > .05) or
Tucker-Center-Research-Report.pdf.
Van Den Berg, P. A., Mond, J., Eisenberg, M., Ackard, D., and Neumark-Sztainer, The FitnessGram Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that the posttest t(44) = 1.897, p > .05. The mean of the perceived pretest child score (m = 97.29, sd =
D. (2010). The Link Between Body Dissatisfaction and Self-Esteem in Adolescents:
Similarities Across Gender, Age, Weight Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic
progressively gets more difficult. 11.54) was not statistically different from the pretest mean of the perceived parent score (m = 97.50,
Status. Journal of Adolescent Health 47: 290-296. sd = 9.59). Neither was the mean of the perceived posttest child score (m = 97.17, sd = 11.00)
statistically different from the mean of the perceived posttest parent score (m = 102.59, sd = 8.01).