Share
A A A

FAQ

AstraZeneca Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) have joined forces to create and champion At My Best®, an exciting children’s wellness program that just completed a successful pilot in the Peel region running from January 2008 to June 2008.

1. What is At My Best®?

  • At My Best® is a Free school-based children’s wellness program for students in kindergarten to grade three that focuses on three key areas of wellness: physical activity, healthy eating and emotional well-being.
  • The name At My Best® was chosen because it reflects the ultimate goal of the program – to help every child thrive.
  • AstraZeneca Canada and PHE Canada’s vision of At My Best® is healthy, happy children on their way to a healthy, happy future.
  • The objective of At My Best® is to inspire and motivate children (and their families) to make healthier choices today and develop lifelong healthy habits.

2. Why was At My Best® developed?

  • Canada has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the developed world, ranking fifth out of 34 OECD* countries. In 1978, 12 per cent of children and adolescents aged two to 17 years were overweight and 3 per cent were obese – for a combined overweight/obesity prevalence of 15 per cent. By 2004, 18 per cent were overweight in this age group and 8 per cent – or half a million children – were obese – a combined prevalence of 26 per cent. (Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids, 2007)
    * Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
  • Obesity conditions in youth and adolescents often continue into adulthood, which can contribute to a range of other debilitating diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular conditions and diabetes.
  • It is estimated that the direct health cost of obesity is $1.6 billion annually or 2.4 per cent of total health care spending. The indirect cost of obesity is $2.7 billion, which is related to lost productivity, disability insurance and reduced quality of life and mental health problems due to stigmatization and poor self-esteem. (Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids, 2007)
  • There is a current epidemic of overweight, obese and physically inactive children and youth across Canada. A 2004 Canadian Community Health survey found that among children aged 6 to 17, the likelihood of obesity tended to rise with time spent watching TV, playing video games or using the computer.
  • Lack of adequate health and physical education programs and limited resources within the school system have contributed to children not developing the skills or the habits that are needed to be physically active and to make healthy lifestyle choices.

3. Who is Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada)?

Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) has been Canada’s premier professional organization for physical and health educators since its inception as the Canadian Physical Education Association (CPEA) in 1933. In 1948, it became the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (CAHPER), and then the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance in 1994. The 75th year of service to the profession saw the Association evolve to become Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada).

Members of PHE Canada are predominantly educators working in the school system, the administrators who support them and the university professors engaged in pre-service teacher training and in research in physical and health education.

The Association strives to achieve its vision by supporting schools in becoming “Health Promoting Schools”, that include the provision of Quality Daily Physical Education and Quality School Health. Schools are supported through a range of programs, resources and initiatives.

4. Why is AstraZeneca Canada supporting this program?

  • The rates of physical inactivity and obesity among Canadian children and youth are alarming. PHE Canada and AstraZeneca Canada hope to help to reverse that trend with the At My Best® program.
  • While there is growing awareness about the problem of childhood obesity and physical inactivity, there is increased pressure on schools to play a role in reversing these trends. Many schools across Canada are in need of high quality, user-friendly resources that can support the delivery of quality school health and physical education programs and help to motivate and empower children to lead healthier, more physically active lives.
  • AstraZeneca Canada is a company that cares about the health of all Canadians and is committed to taking an active leadership role in supporting health initiatives. We are committed to addressing unmet needs by partnering with people who care deeply about our communities and understand the complex issues that affect our healthcare system. We work with leaders in the voluntary and healthcare sectors who, along with our employees, are devoted to finding breakthrough solutions to major challenges.

5. How much does AstraZeneca Canada spend on At My Best® and what is the breakdown (e.g. What part is actually going to the curriculum and schools versus marketing and promotion of the program)?

  • Out of the $1.2 million AstraZeneca will spend annually moving forward, $300k will be for outreach including any cost to communicate At My Best® to schools, principals, teachers and parents/guardians.
  • The remainder will be allocated to production of the At My Best® program kits, program operations, research, and expansion of the program.

6. Who are some of the educational partners involved in the program creation and delivery?

  • With PHE Canada’s assistance and extensive education contacts across the country, we have assembled a team of educators with expertise in physical education, nutrition, health promotion and children’s wellness that have developed the content of the At My Best® program.

7. What is unique about the At My Best®program?

  • At My Best® was developed as a comprehensive support tool to help teachers deliver quality health and physical education programs. It was also designed to include an important Daily Physical Activity component that assists teachers in increasing physical activity time for students and is linked to physical education learning. All At My Best® lesson plans have been designed to advance learning in other subject areas such as math, literacy, and the arts.
  • This program was developed by educators for educators.
  • The program is supported and developed by research and input from key stakeholders including guardians, nutritionists and educators.
  • In addition to the classroom modules At My Best® includes many other teaching support materials and equipment, including a music CD, a complementary storybook, interactive task cards, posters, take-home materials and physical education equipment.
  • The At My Best® take-home component helps students continue learning at home. Each lesson includes suggestions on take-home activities, such as practicing a fun physical activity, preparing a special family meal, or reflecting on special moments through the student’s Class Book.

8. Who is the primary target audience of At My Best®?

  • The primary target audience is children from kindergarten to grade three. These students are young enough that they are still forming habits that will help lead them to healthier living for life.
  • At My Best® is a comprehensive classroom toolkit for generalist teachers as well as those teachers tasked with delivering Health and Physical Education programs.
  • Parents/guardians are a secondary audience of this program. The take-home materials will encourage students to practice what they are learning during school along with their families.

9. How was the At My Best™ pilot tested?

  • At My Best® was piloted in 39 schools in the Region of Peel from January to June 2008 and received top marks from teachers, parents and students who reported the program exceeded their expectations. At My Best® proved to be engaging for students and effectively met the key objective of “helping every child thrive”. Most importantly, teachers and parents noticed significant behavioural changes in children taking part in the program:
  • Teachers believe the program had observable impact on their students; they reported students demonstrating the target behaviours such as having a conscious understanding of healthy and unhealthy foods as well as increasing their physical activity and displaying more self-confidence.
  • Parents/guardians credited the program with encouraging their kids to make a focused effort to eat healthy foods and noted that their children had an increased knowledge of the connection between physical activity, healthy eating and emotional health.
  • The program also exceeded expectations for the majority of teachers.
  • Toolkit elements received high marks with respect to their usefulness. The Teacher’s Binder, storybook, blackline Masters and the physical education equipment were the most popular.
  • Lessons have been relatively easy to implement across the grades and have proven engaging.
  • Peel offered a broad and diverse composition of schools that was ideal for the purposes of this pilot. In the pilot phase, our objective was to include a variety of schools representing a mix of rural/urban, socio-economic and multi-cultural backgrounds.
    • The Peel school region is well known for their leadership in recognizing and supporting the importance of delivering physical activity and healthy living initiatives in their school. Their experience can support the refinement of At My Best® before it is delivered nationally.
    • Since AstraZeneca Canada actively participates in the City of Mississauga’s Healthy Cities Steering Committee, piloting in Peel Region was an ideal choice. Furthermore, Peel Region is where many AstraZeneca Canada employees live and work.

10. Will you be providing At My Best® in English and French?

  • At My Best® will be available to English- and French-speaking schools during the national rollout.

11. Will At My Best® be expanded to include other age groups?

  • There are no immediate plans to expand the program to other grades. We want to ensure that the program is firmly established among kindergarten to grade three students before we expand the program into other age groups. It was determined that kindergarten to grade three are the grades where the greatest impact can be made. At My Best® will therefore continue to focus on these grades.