2009-2010 Undergraduate Research Award Proposal

Student Name: Caroline Horosko

Mentor Name: Dr. Suzie Goodell
College: CALS - Dept. of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutritional Science
Proposal Title: Evaluation of the Improvement of Low-Income Pre-School
Childrens Gross Motor Development through the Incorporation of Dance

Part B:
Research Hypothesis, Design Goals, or Research Thesis and Keywords:

Incorporating physical activity into a low-income familys daily routine with at

least one pre-school aged child will increase the knowledge of proper physical
activity needs for different aged members of the family and improve gross motor
development for the child. At the conclusion of this study physical activity levels
will increase in the children with more physically interactive parents.

Research Plan (include the question being addressed; problem, or engineering goals; describe in
detail your proposed methods, procedures, or design ) (maximum of 500 words):

Children living in low-income neighborhoods exercise less and are more

overweight than those in more affluent neighborhoods after accounting for family
socio-economic status (Merchant, Dehghan and Behnke-Cook). This study will
involve a single intervention method of incorporating physical activity into a lowincome familys weekly routine. An intervention on physical activity is being
incorporated because recent studies suggest, physical activity levels may be
important, not only for physical development, but also perhaps for cognitive
performance subsequent to physical activity, and even for aspects of social
organization and social skills (Pellegrini and Smith).
Participants:
Study participants will include pre-school aged children (aged 3-5) enrolled in
a federally funded Head Start pre-school in Siler City, North Carolina and their
parents. These families will be low-income, Spanish and English speaking, and will
be predominantly Hispanic and African-American. This is a pilot feasibility study so I
will only be recruiting with a convenient sample size of the first 10 family groups to
sign up. Family groups will include the 3-5 year old child and an adult caretaker. To
recruit these 10 family groups, I will speak at Parent Teacher Association information
sessions, passing out flyers explaining dance classes, and utilizing teachers to
promote involvement in the dance lesson.
Intervention:

This study will involve an eight-week long gross motor developmental dance
course. The dance lessons will take place once a week for 1.5 hours each week.
Families are required to attend at least six of the eight classes in order to complete
the course. The class will be split into three sections. The first will include data
collection, the second will incorporate in the dance lesson, and the final section of
the class will involve setting a challenge with the families about what they want to
accomplish during the next week outside of class.
Study Measures:
I will evaluate the benefits of physical activity and how dancing can be
incorporated into a daily family routine promoting overall greater gross motor skill
development and ultimately a healthier lifestyle. This is be evaluated through
recorded physical measurements and self-reported surveying. Specific evaluations
will be taken from a resting heart rate, a self-reported outcome of physical activity
through a survey done by the childs caretaker, a recorded pedometer rate, overall
physical activity knowledge, and a simple gross motor development assessment.
Data Collection and Analysis:
Data for evaluation will be collected at baseline and again at the conclusion
of the eight weeks of class. A resting heart rate will be recorded at baseline and
post intervention. Adults will fill out surveys for a record of pre and post knowledge
of physical activity, and how much is engaged with the pre-school child. Each preschool child will have a pre and post BMI recorded as well as, a gross motor
development test. To evaluate this study I will be comparing pre-post data on heart
rate, the BMI of the children, and child physical activity knowledge and their gross
motor skill level.

Statement of the importance and implications for advancing disciplinary knowledge (maximum of
250 words):

Development at ages 3-5 is vital in shaping the overall health for adolescence
and adulthood. Studies have shown that with increased parent school involvement
and more active types of parent involvement more positive development in all
Vineland domains (expressive language, domestic skills, play and leisure, and gross
motor skills) and greater mastery of early basic school skills in all subject areas
results (Marcon). However, as discovered in a New York Head Start school that now
with increase in single parent homes there is an increase in self-sufficiency
demands, decreasing time for parent involvement (Marcon). With these children
also enrolled in an underserved school, there is added pressures for these three to
five year olds to be able to develop properly, which will only lead to higher health
costs in the future due to factors like obesity and lack of physical activity. The direct
costs of lack of physical activity, defined conservatively as absence of leisure-time
physical activity, are approximately 24 billion dollars or 2.4% of the U.S. health care
expenditures (Colditz). This intervention study will also create openings for further
research of this subject.

Describe the connection between this project and your curricular interests
(maximum of 250 words):

I am currently majoring in biological sciences with a minor in nutrition

because I plan to become a pediatric occupational therapist. In that field, I will be
working mainly with childrens gross motor skills. This intervention will provide me
with a hands-on view of the exact child cases and scenarios that I will often
encounter in a pediatric field (dealing with motor development.) This intervention
will allow me to provide extra care in an underserved area, in addition to providing a
clearer, more profound knowledge of the actual components (interacting with
pediatrics and gross motor skills) of my career path.

Describe the time commitment anticipated for this project (hours per
week):

This study will consume a minimum of ten hours each week. This time will be
spent planning and organizing the lessons, data collection, researching and writing
up information, transportation to and from the center, and two hours will be spent
at the actual site.