PLEASE NOTE: Greensboro AHEC is now known as Piedmont AHEC. The organization’s name changed on February 1, 2023.
January 12, 2023
Practice Support helps High Point Pediatrics address obesity through yoga
An obesity program incorporating yoga, meditation and more resulted in positive health outcomes for many of its young participants.
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HIGH POINT — Seventeen children and adolescents recently completed a yoga-based weight loss program organized by High Point Pediatrics with the support of Greensboro AHEC’s Practice Support team.
The eight-week, evidence-based program consisted of weekly yoga classes, nutrition classes, and reflective group discussions, all led by Sharon Allen, DNP-C, CPNP-PC, MSN, plus meditation practices, which participants did on their own. “I am very passionate about health promotion and disease prevention in the pediatric population,” Allen says. Practice Support helped secure funds for gift bags for the participants, which included a yoga mat, a water bottle, and a journal, and met with Allen regularly as the program progressed.
The program’s outcome measures were weight loss and mental well-being. Weight loss was assessed through measurements taken at the beginning and end of the program. Mental well-being was assessed using the Beck Self Concept for Youth (BSCI-Y), which measures self-perception, body image, and self-esteem; the Beck Anxiety Inventory for Youth (BAI-Y), which measures being afraid, worrying, or other physiological symptoms associated with anxiety; and the Beck Depression Inventory for Youth (BDI-Y), which measures negative thoughts such as sadness and loneliness, and physiological symptoms associated with depression.
Of the 17 participants, six decreased their body mass index (BMI), and 10 decreased their waist circumference. All three mental well-being measures were significantly improved at the end of the program for the group.
“Greensboro AHEC envisions a state where every North Carolinian is healthy, and through this program, we were able to tackle the health issue of obesity with these youth,” says Dontae Moore, Quality Consultant. “They are the future of our society, and it’s important that we implement strategies that aim to reduce obesity, heart attacks, and high blood pressure. This educational program allowed us to focus on quality of care and on improving healthcare outcomes.”
For more information about Greensboro AHEC Practice Support, please contact Suzanne Lineberry at suzanne.lineberry@conehealth.com.
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