Fall 2013


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Girls on the Run of Southeast Alaska Outcome Evaluation Fall 2013

Girls on the Run of Southeast Alaska 907-586-6623 [email protected]

Executive Summary Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a physical activity-based positive youth development program for girls in 3rd8th grade. The program teaches life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games. In 2013, an outcome evaluation (using pre-post surveys) was conducted to assess whether girls who participated in the program changed in any of the following ways: A. B. C. D. E.

Acceptance of traditional gender stereotypes Social-emotional health Participation in physical activity Body acceptance Self-esteem

Seventy girls participated in the pre survey, and 73 girls participated in the post survey. Evidence from this evaluation study points to participation in Girls on the Run as a powerful factor in improving healthy lifestyle skills among third through eighth grade girls in Southeast Alaska. The most noticeable changes seen following the Girls on the Run program were participants’ acceptance of traditional gender stereotypes, skills for identifying and dealing with emotions, and ability to stand up for themselves and others. These positive lifestyle skills will help prepare them for challenges they may face as they enter adolescence. Overall, the Girls on the Run program appears to be making meaningful changes in the lives of young girls in Southeast Alaska.

Introduction Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a physical activity-based positive youth development program for girls in 3rd8th grade. The program teaches life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness. Girls on the Run is a violence prevention program of AWARE, Inc. in Juneau, Alaska. AWARE’s mission is to provide safe shelter and supportive services for women and children who have been subject to domestic violence or sexual violence; and to effect the social, political and legal changes needed to eliminate oppression and violence against women and children. Girls on the Run is offered throughout Southeast Alaska through a partnership with the two other domestic violence and sexual assault programs in our region, WISH in Ketchikan and SAFV in Sitka. Girls on the Run of Southeast Alaska helps empower girls and model a world where girls are celebrated for who they are. Through GOTR, we aim to change gender norms and promote equality while inviting our communities to envision a world without violence. The object of this evaluation was to assess the impact of the Girls on the Run program on the lives of participants. Specifically, we measured whether girls who participated in the program changed in any of the following ways: Acceptance of traditional gender stereotypes A. Social-emotional health B. Participation in physical activity C. Body acceptance D. Self-esteem Using a pre-post-test design, AWARE volunteers administered a survey to participants at the beginning (n=70 pre) and end (N=73 post) of the twelve week program in the communities of Juneau and Petersburg. Some limitations in the data may have led to little or no change when comparing pre- and post-tests. For example, most participants scored high on self-esteem at the pre-tests, leaving little room for improvement on the post-test data (e.g., called a ceiling effect). While the Girls on the Run program may have further enhanced positive pre-test outcomes such as body acceptance and self-esteem, due to limitations in the data, changes appear minimal.

Girls on the Run Outcomes by Category A. Acceptance of traditional gender stereotypes Acceptance of traditional gender stereotypes is a risk factor for becoming a victim of domestic or sexual violence (World Health Organization, 2010). In an effort to prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect,

Girls on the Run attempts to increase awareness of negative traditional gender stereotypes while decreasing participants’ acceptance of these rigid roles. Girls on the Run participants showed a decrease in their acceptance of traditional gender stereotypes. Specifically, after completing the Girls on the Run program, participants were more likely to strongly agree with the following positive gender statements (see Figure 1): o o o o

It is OK for girls to play rough sports like football: 10% increase from pre to post Girls can be good leaders: 16% increase from pre to post It is important for girls to do well in school: 11% increase from pre to post Girls are Smart: 12% increase from pre to post

How much do you agree with the following statements (% strongly agree) It is OK for girls to play rough sports like football.

Post

69% 59%

Pre 79%

Girls can be good leaders

64%

It is important for girls to do well in school

75% 64% 78%

Girls are Smart

66% 0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Figure 1. Pre-post group comparison of participants’ acceptance of various gender stereotypes. n= 70 pre, 73 post

As seen in Figure 2, the number of girls who strongly disagreed with the traditional gender stereotype that girls should always focus on looking good increased 20% (n= 70 pre, 73 post).

% of Participants who Stongly Disagreed

Girls Should Always Focus on Looking Good 100%

75% 51% 50% 31% 25%

0% PRE

POST

Figure 2: Pre-post group comparison of participants’ level of agreement that “Girls should always focus on looking good.” n= 70 pre, 73 post

B. Social-Emotional Health Healthy communication skills and peers that support healthy and safe relationships are both important protective factors against domestic or sexual violence (World Health Organization, 2010). The Girls on the Run curriculum teaches participants direct communication and conflict resolution skills as well as the importance of identifying and dealing with emotions in healthy ways. Girls on the Run participants showed improvements in social emotional health skills including identifying and dealing with feelings and standing up for others. Participants also increased their understanding of the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable feelings and their knowledge of how to deal with uncomfortable feelings in a healthy way. Girls reported an increase in their comfort level in telling their feelings to others.

After completing the Girls on the Run program, participants were more likely to strongly agree with the following statements (See Figure 3): o o

I am good at working in teams: 2% increase from pre to post I feel comfortable telling my feelings to others: 8% increase from pre to post

o o o

I am able to be myself: 9% increase from pre to post I know how to deal with uncomfortable feelings in a healthy way: 19% increase from pre to post I know the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable feelings: 12% increase from pre to post

Social-Emotional Health Statements (% strongly agree)

POST

50% 48%

I am good at working in teams.

PRE

29%

I feel comfortable telling my feelings to others.

21% 77%

I am able to be myself

68%

I know how to deal with uncomfortable feelings in a healthy way.

55% 36%

I know the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable feelings

71% 59% 0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Figure 3: Pre-post group comparison of various social-emotional health statements. n= 70 pre, 73 post

Following Girls on the Run, participants showed an increased level of comfort in standing up for themselves and others (see Figure 4). For example, there was a 10% increase in the number of participants who agreed or strongly agreed that they feel comfortable standing up for themselves.

Social Emotional Health Statements (% agree/strongly agree) (n= 70 pre, 73 post)

POST PRE 97%

I feel comfortable standing up for someone else who is being picked on.

87%

97%

People can stand up for themselves without fighting or being mean.

90%

75%

I feel comfortable standing up for myself.

65% 0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Figure 4: Pre-post group comparison of social-emotional skills related to standing up for self and others. n= 70 pre, 73 post

Girls improved on several social-emotional health measures after participating in the Girls on the Run program. The biggest changes from pre to post-tests included girls’ self-reported comfort level with standing up for themselves and others and their ability to identify and deal with emotions in a healthy way. There was little change from pre to post-test in the number of girls who reported being good at working in teams (89% pre vs. 85% post). On the pre-test, most girls agreed or strongly agreed that they were good at working in teams. This left little room for improvement on the post-test. Part of the Girls on the Run curriculum is to build a sense of teamwork and collaboration among the participants. The activities aimed at doing this may have been participants’ first introduction to the challenges of working in teams, therefore instead of seeing improvements, there was minimal or no change in their selfreported ability to work well in teams.

C. Participation in Physical Activity Girls on the Run aims to increase the frequency of participation in physical activity as a part of promoting a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle. Throughout the program participants train for and complete a 5K run/walk.

While previous Girls on the Run International studies have shown statistically significant improvements in participants’ frequency in vigorous physical activity, this study showed minimal change from pre to post (Debate, 2005). The Girls on the Run International tool used to assess physical activity contained several questions on physical activity including an adapted version of the Commitment to Physical Activity Scale. One limitation to the tool used by Girls on the Run of Southeast Alaska is the use of a single question to assess frequency of physical activity. Participants were asked, “In the last 7 days, besides Girls on the Run and PE, how many times did you do sports, dance, or play games in which you were very active?” A single, self-reported question such as this may not be an accurate way to assess physical activity in youth. When asked to exclude physical activity done at Girls on the Run and PE, it may have been difficult for girls to recall physical activities for the past seven days. Future evaluations done by Girls on the Run of Southeast Alaska may consider using different measures to quantify physical activity.

D. Body Acceptance Girls on the Run teaches girls to live their lives outside the “Girl Box,” or place where girls are valued only for their outer appearance. As girls enter adolescence, body image and self-esteem develop in the context of sociocultural factors, such as unrealistic media images of female beauty. Girls on the Run aims to increase resistance to these types of unhealthy pressures and influences by teaching participants media literacy skills and discussing concepts such as the “Girl Box.” Overall, improvements from pre to post were seen in one of the four body acceptance questions, although changes were not seen in the other three questions. Specifically, after completing the Girls on the Run program, girls were 12% more likely to strongly agree that they can be successful no matter what they look like (See Figure 5).

I feel I can be sucessful no matter what I look like (% strongly agree) 100% 79% 75% 67% 50% 25% 0% PRE

POST

Figure 5: Pre-post group comparison of participants’ level of agreement that “I feel I can be successful no matter what I look like.” n= 70 pre, 73 post

Both before and after the program, most girls strongly agreed that they were beautiful just the way there were (71% pre vs. 72% post). Many girls also strongly agreed that they felt good about the way their bodies looked both before and after the program (58% pre vs. 52% post). The number of girls who strongly disagreed that their bodies should look like girls in TV and magazines remained relatively constant from pre to post-test (68% pre vs. 70% post). The limited change in body acceptance may be due to the age of participants. Prior to middle school, girls may not internalize the societal messages and pressures regarding body and beauty standards. In the future it would be beneficial to test this hypothesis by comparing body acceptance outcomes between elementary and middle school participants. This may be done in the future when additional data is collected. E. Self esteem Self-esteem is a protective factor against many risky behaviors and is a key element of the Girls on the Run program. Girls on the Run aims to enhance self-esteem through empowering lessons and activities such as media literacy, direct communication and training for and completing a 5K run/walk. Overall, slight improvements from pre to post were seen in three of the ten self-esteem questions, although changes were not seen in the global self-esteem scores. After participating in the Girls on the Run program, participants reported a 6% decrease in their level of agreement with the statement I feel that I am a failure. In addition, participants reported a 6% increase in their level of agreement with the statement I take a positive attitude toward myself.

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to measure self-esteem. This is the most widely used measure of self-esteem and consists of a ten item measure that measures global self-esteem. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale is reported as one of the most valid and reliable global measures of selfesteem (Wylie, 1989). The tool used by Girls on the Run of Southeast Alaska included slight modifications intended to make questions easier to understand for young children. For example, I feel I don’t have much to be proud of was changed to I have a lot to be proud of. These modifications may have impacted the outcomes and contributed to the fact that minimal changes in self-esteem were seen among girls participating in the Girls on the Run program. Most participants scored high on the pre-tests, which may have been another explanation for the minimal changes seen between pre and post-tests.

Conclusion While we cannot determine direct causation, evidence from this study points to participation in Girls on the Run as a powerful factor in improving healthy lifestyle skills among third-eighth grade girls in Southeast Alaska. The most noticeable changes seen following the Girls on the Run program were participants’ acceptance of traditional gender stereotypes, their skills around identifying and dealing with emotions, and their ability to stand up for themselves and others. These positive lifestyle skills will help prepare them for challenges they may face as they enter adolescence. Overall, the Girls on the Run program appears to be making meaningful changes in the lives of young girls in Southeast Alaska.

Sources: Prevention intimate partner and sexual violence against women: Take action and generating evidence, World Health Organization, September 2010. Debate, R. (2005). Girls on the Run: Formative Evaluation Report Spring 2005 Results. Wylie RC. Rosenburg self-esteem scale (RSE). Measure of self-concept. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press; 1989:24–35.