Researchers in Germany studied how teachers felt about delivering a program called Familie+ that helps prevent childhood obesity in schools. They asked teachers questions and interviewed them about what worked well and what was challenging. Teachers liked the program overall, especially the nutrition lessons. However, they found that the program materials were complicated and didn’t fit easily into the school’s daily schedule. The study suggests that successful school health programs need support from school leaders and should be flexible enough for teachers to adapt to their classrooms.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How well teachers could deliver a school-based weight prevention program and what they thought about it
  • Who participated: Teachers in low-income schools in Germany who taught the Familie+ program to their students
  • Key finding: Teachers liked the program and delivered nutrition activities most often, but found the materials too complex and difficult to fit into their regular teaching schedule
  • What it means for you: If your school uses health programs, they’re more likely to work well if they’re simple, flexible, and have support from school leaders. This applies to any school trying to improve student health.

The Research Details

Researchers used a mixed-methods approach, which means they collected both numbers (from surveys) and detailed stories (from interviews). They asked teachers to fill out questionnaires and had conversations with them at two different times during the school year. This combination of surveys and interviews helped the researchers understand not just what teachers did, but why they did it and how they felt about it. The study was based on a well-known framework called the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, which helps scientists understand how new programs get put into practice in real-world settings like schools.

Understanding what teachers think is crucial because teachers are the ones actually running these programs in classrooms. If teachers don’t like a program or find it too hard to use, students won’t benefit from it, no matter how good the program is in theory. By listening to teachers’ experiences, researchers can design better programs that actually work in real schools.

This was a pilot study, which means it was smaller and designed to test the approach before doing a larger study. The researchers used both surveys and interviews, which gives a more complete picture than using just one method. They followed a recognized framework for studying how programs get implemented, which makes their findings more reliable. However, because it’s a pilot study, the results are preliminary and would benefit from being tested with more schools.

What the Results Show

Teachers delivered the program activities at different rates, with nutrition lessons being taught most frequently. Overall, teachers had positive feelings about the program and thought the activities were valuable for their students. The main challenges teachers faced came from two sources: the program materials themselves were complicated and didn’t allow much flexibility for teachers to adapt them to their classrooms, and the school’s daily routines and schedules didn’t always match well with when the program activities needed to happen. Teachers also mentioned that having support from school principals and better teamwork among school staff would have made implementation easier.

The study found that when teachers had more control over how to adapt the program to fit their classroom needs, they were more likely to deliver it successfully. Teachers also noted that programs work better when there’s clear communication and cooperation between different people in the school, including administrators, teachers, and support staff. The complexity of the program materials was a significant barrier—teachers wanted simpler, more straightforward resources they could use without extensive training.

This research aligns with previous studies showing that teacher satisfaction and school support are critical for successful health programs. Earlier research has shown that programs designed with flexibility tend to work better in real-world school settings than rigid programs. This study confirms those findings while adding new information about what specifically makes programs difficult to implement in low-income schools.

The study was small and focused only on schools in low-income areas of Germany, so the results may not apply to all schools or all countries. The sample size wasn’t specified, which makes it harder to know how many teachers participated. Because this was a pilot study, it was designed to test the approach rather than provide final answers. Larger studies with more schools would be needed to confirm these findings.

The Bottom Line

Schools considering health prevention programs should choose programs that are simple and flexible (moderate confidence). School leaders should actively support and participate in program implementation (high confidence). Programs should be designed with input from teachers about what will actually work in their classrooms (moderate confidence). Regular communication and teamwork among school staff improves success (moderate confidence).

School administrators and teachers planning to implement health programs should pay attention to these findings. Parents who want their schools to have effective health programs should advocate for flexible, teacher-friendly approaches. Program developers creating school health interventions should use this research to design better materials. This is less relevant for individual families making personal health decisions, but very relevant for schools making policy decisions.

Changes in how programs are designed and implemented could be made immediately, but seeing actual improvements in student health outcomes would likely take a full school year or longer to measure.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • If you’re a teacher using a health program, track which activities you successfully delivered each week and note any barriers you encountered. Rate the complexity of materials on a simple scale (easy, medium, hard) to identify which resources need improvement.
  • Start by implementing the simplest program activities first (like nutrition lessons) before moving to more complex ones. Request modifications to program materials that don’t fit your schedule, and work with other teachers to problem-solve together.
  • Keep a simple log of program delivery over the school year, noting which activities worked well and which didn’t. Share feedback with school leaders monthly to help improve the program. Track teacher satisfaction and student engagement alongside program delivery to see what’s actually working.

This research describes how teachers experience implementing a school health program and should not be used as medical advice for individuals. The findings are preliminary from a pilot study and may not apply to all schools or regions. Parents and educators should consult with school health professionals and their doctor before making health decisions for children. This study examines program implementation, not the effectiveness of the program itself for preventing obesity.