SBIR-STTR Award

This Phase I SBIR application proposes the development and pilot testing of an interactive, web-based nutrition program, called www.JiveforFive.com, to be offered to high school students (ages 14 to 18) through their health curriculum. This program will be based on the 5 A Day for Better Health Program, initiated by the CDC, NCI, and the fruit and vegetable (F&V) industry. The positive benefits of adequate F&V intake are well documented. Research has shown relationships between F&V consumption and the prevention of certain types of cancer and heart disease; poor eating can result in obesity and a number of serious health concerns. In general, adolescents consume only 2.8 servings of fruits or vegetables a day, which is half of the recommendation based on the Healthy People 2010 goal. A CDC survey found that 78 percent of high school students had not eaten five or more servings of fruits or vegetables per day in the previous week. For high school students, nutrition education is addressed in health classes utilizing textbooks or in physical education classes, an approach that is neither complete nor tailored to students' needs. Current efforts to increase F&V intake have either met with limited success, or when successful, have involved a tremendous amount of time and attention. Further, other health risks among youth, such as tobacco and drug use, are often higher priorities in school settings. Thus, there is a need for nutrition programs that can be easily integrated into existing school health curricula. The concept of www.JiveforFive.com is to use the Internet to achieve a tailored, psychoeducational intervention that is not currently available to high school students. The proposed program, www.JiveforFive.com, offers an online personalized education program that will provide students with empirically-based information and tailored feedback in a confidential manner. If such a program demonstrated effectiveness, school personnel would likely regard it as a cost-effective way to increase F&V consumption among high school students.

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This Phase II SBIR application proposes the development of an interactive, web-based nutrition and physical activity (PA) program, called www.JiveforFive.com, to be offered to adolescents ages 14 to 18 through strategic distribution channels including schools, health insurers, and personal health management programs for individuals and families. This program is based on the 5-A-Day for Better Health Program and the USDA guidelines for nutrition and physical activity, as well as theories of behavior change, social learning, and adolescent development. It is well established that poor dietary intake, minimal fruit and vegetable (FandV) consumption, excessive sweetened beverage intake, and low frequency of physical activity increase the risk for obesity and serious health concerns, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Obesity prevention initiatives are critical, as the percentage of overweight children has nearly quadrupled over the past three decades. Current efforts in nutrition and PA education have either met with limited success, or when successful, have involved a tremendous amount of resources. The proposed Phase II product will be tested in schools as (1) adolescents spend the majority of their day in educational settings, and (2) schools are increasingly limiting access to health and PA programs due to budget cuts and reallocation of resources. Notably, gaps in targeted education for the older adolescent and diminishing resources in high schools place the responsibility on the teen, parents or health insurers to address prevention/intervention efforts. Thus, there is a need for evidence-based nutrition and PA programs that are versatile, economical and easily integrated into the lifestyles of older adolescents. Thus, JiveforFive.com will serve as a comprehensive and convenient healthy lifestyle program for millions of adolescents across a variety of settings. The NIDDK omnibus solicitation (PA-07-280) supports the development of computerized interventions for increasing physical activity as well as assessing energy intake in the prevention of obesity. JiveforFive.com capitalizes on computer programming algorithms to personalize and tailor nutrition and PA information to meet the current needs of each adolescent, while providing developmentally appropriate and appealing content in the area of body image. Social networking and interactive games address both the importance of peers for adolescents and the high appeal of computer-based games, in an effort to engage adolescents in the learning process. JiveforFive.com will integrate the use of wireless activity monitors to further enhance motivational and self-management aspects of the web-based program and increase rates of physical activity. If JiveforFive.com demonstrates effectiveness when it is fully developed in Phase II, it is likely that teens, parents, school personnel, and health insurers would regard it as a cost-effective way to provide nutrition and PA education for high school-aged adolescents.

Public Health Relevance:
JiveforFive.com addresses a key public health issue of obesity prevention among adolescents ages 14-18 by focusing on nutrition education, physical activity motivation, and body image concerns through the use of a web-based program utilizing algorithms to personalize and tailor health goals.

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