Kimi Ora Community School principal Matt O'Dowda (left), with Te Mata School principal Michael Bain and lead AUT researcher Dr Nigel Harris. Photo / Warren Buckland
Kimi Ora Community School principal Matt O'Dowda (left), with Te Mata School principal Michael Bain and lead AUT researcher Dr Nigel Harris. Photo / Warren Buckland
A study almost two years in the making has officially launched and aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children in Hawke's Bay through "movement as the language".
The pilot project, co-ordinated by the Hawke's Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust, has seven schools and five early childhood centres fromaround the region.
Project lead in child development in the early years, Wendy Pirie, said having the early childhood centres involved was significant, as they were starting from as young as 3.
"It is about establishing Hawke's Bay as a leader in action around health and wellbeing in children and bringing the community together and also the value of the academic supports."
She said it had been a "really aspirational journey" that they were now able to implement.
Health development manager Joe Payton said it was something they had worked on for 18 to 24 months.
During that time, and before Thursday's training day with all parties involved, they had focused on building relationships and knowledge through the community, as well as establishing the institute.
In conjunction with the trust, the project comprises EIT, as the lead research organisation, with senior lecturer Dr Olivia Maclaren, and is supported by AUT Associate Professor and research adviser Dr Nigel Harris.
Harris developed the Pau Te Hau: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), focusing on low to mid decile schools in Auckland. They found children became fitter, teachers enjoyed doing it, and for the most part, schools chose to continue with the programme.
Harris said it was original in that it was putting in place a combination of exercise and teaching in a school environment.
Some of the participants involved with the pilot study testing the heart rate monitors. Photo / Warren Buckland
"It's trying to take lab-based research but put it in a real-world setting and in a way that's potentially sustainable and scaleable.
"So what that means is that if we can get the teachers engaged in doing it, automatically that has the potential to expand it, or scale it out to reach more kids," Harris said.
"That's very different from doing laboratory studies where you have a very small group of people and the study is done by the research team. In this respect, it is the teachers that are actually delivering it, and if that's successful that has the ability to really carry on."
The trust will be running beep tests in primary schools and a five-minute walk in early childhood centres.
Participants will implement the Pau Te Hau programme where children complete a structured high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session in the classroom.
Data is recorded via the use of iPads which link to Heart Rate monitors that record the heart rate intensity by displaying it on a screen so the students know what level of intensity to exercise at.
Trust chairman Sir Graeme Avery said: "The real driver for this intervention is about helping the Hawke's Bay community fight the poor health stats we have here, and the need to promote a healthy weight for a longer healthier life from early childhood".
While it is still in its infancy, those behind the project have the vision to roll it out across the region, then nationwide and with a longitudinal study.
Wairoa Primary, Marewa Primary, Taradale Primary, KimiOra Primary, Irongate Primary, TeMata Primary and Waipawa Primary are involved, along with Lumsden Kindergarten, Waiapu Kids, Taradale Kindergarten, and The DEN, Napier.
Royston Health Trust and Constellation Community Trust is funding the pilot programme. It is supported by Hawke's Bay DHB, Health Hawke's Bay, the Hawke's Bay Tarawhiti Ministry of Education and Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc.
