Evaluation Study Results
Michigan Model for Health^®
Improves Student Health Knowledge, Skills,
Attitudes and Behaviors:

• A two-year, randomized control study of the effectiveness of the Michigan Model for Health^® curriculum was conducted in the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 school years. It involved over 2,500 students and 300 teachers in Grades 4 and 5 across over 50 schools in Michigan and Indiana.
   
  
• The principal investigator is Dr. Jim O’Neill from Madonna University, with collaboration by Dr. Jeff Clark of Ball State University. Support was provided by the Michigan Departments of Education and Community Health.
  
  
• The evaluation included a longitudinal design measuring student health knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. Data collection involved (a) a pre-test administered before the curriculum was implemented, (b) an immediate post-test at the conclusion of instruction, and (c) a delayed-post test conducted five weeks after the instruction was completed. The design was implemented in Grade 4 and repeated the following year, when the students were in
  Grade 5.
  
  
• In Grade 4, students received 25 Michigan Model for Health lessons covering four units: social emotional skills, safety, alcohol and tobacco prevention, and physical activity and nutrition. Nearly 90% of teachers implemented all lessons as planned. In Grade 5, students received
  28 lessons covering the same units.
  
  
• Results showed that students who received the Michigan Model for Health curriculum showed significant, positive changes compared to a randomized control group of students who did not receive the program. Specifically, students who received the Michigan Model had:
  
  • better interpersonal communication skills, social emotional skills, and
    self-management skills;
  • improved pro-safety attitudes;
  • stronger drug and tobacco refusal skills;
  • less reported alcohol and tobacco use in the past 30 days; and
  • enhanced knowledge and skills in physical activity and nutrition
     
• Students who received the Michigan Model for Health did not show negative results on any indicators, compared to the control group.
   

• Results from students who received instruction in both Grades Four and Five showed the Michigan Model students had better health knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
  behavioral intentions in several content areas:

  knowledge about drugs

  social-emotional skills

  interpersonal communication skills

  self-management skills

  physical activity skills

  refusal skills: alcohol use

  refusal skills: cigarette use

  attitudes against violence/bullying

  attitudes against cigarette use

  attitudes against alcohol use

  intentions to use alcohol

  intentions to smoke cigarettes

  In addition, the Michigan Model participants also had better health behavior outcomes than their control-group counterparts in the following areas:

  • later age of first cigarette use (i.e., initiation of use)

  • lower cigarette use in the past 30 days lower
    alcohol use in the past 30 days

  • less aggressive behavior in the past 30 days