What Else Makes Students Healthy & Wise?
-A Science Project by Jennifer S. of Spring ,
Texas
Strack Intermediate School
Background: Jennifer is a student at a school in Texas. She contacted my via email and asked if I would help her with her science project. I suggested that she have some Old Orchard students take the survey. Last Fall a number of 7th grade students took the survey. Jennifer won first prize at her school and received a second place prize at the city competition.
The Survey: Here is a copy of the questions Jennifer used in her project...
1. Are you concerned about proper nutrition?
2. How many servings of the following do you eat each day?
Breads/GrainsFruits Vegetables
Dairy
Meats/ Proteins
Fats/Oils/Sweets
(You may estimate, or use your food journal, (if applicable)
3. How often do you eat "fast food" every week?
4. Are you a vegetarian?
5. How many hours of exercise do you get each week?
6. What types of exercise do you do?
7. How many hours of sleep do you get each night?
8. How often do you feel stressed? Rarely/ Occasionally/Often (circle one)
9. What types of things cause stress for you?
10. What types of things do you do to relieve stress?
Jennifer's Project ... using scientific method
INTRODUCTION: In the world today, there is much concern about being healthy. This is especially important with adolescents, because what they do now will set a pattern for their health habits later in life. If they are not very healthy, this can lead to disease and other complications. Still, many teenagers do not pay much attention their health habits. This experiment was conducted to really see how concerned students are with their health, and to see their nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress habits.
PROBLEM: How concerned are Seventh Graders with their health?
HYPOTHESIS: If one hundred seventh graders are surveyed about their health habits, then three fourths of the students will imply that they are not very concerned with their health.
MATERIALS: -100 Seventh Graders
-A ten question survey concerning nutrition, sleep, exercise, and stress
PROCEDURE:
1. Compile a ten-question survey containing four different aspects of health: nutrition and diet, sleep, exercise, and stress. This survey should be geared toward seventh graders.
2. Issue this survey to one hundred random seventh graders, using consent form 4A.
3. Do research finding out how much sleep, exercise, and servings of different food groups that seventh graders need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
4. Compile the information from the surveys, making conclusions about the health of seventh graders.
Variable- one hundred random seventh gradersControl- the same survey is used for every student
CONCLUSION: Through this experiment, I proved my hypothesis wrong. Altogether, seventh graders are considerably healthy and concerned about nutrition, even if they may slightly lack some nutrients in their diets and get less sleep than needed.
APPLICATIONS: In the world today, much attention is turned to health, but sometimes students do not always care to pay attention. Through this experiment, parents, students, and teachers will be able to see the strengths and weaknesses of seventh grader’s health. In this, we may improve and be able to develop a happier, healthier lifestyle, which will then lead on to less complications and better health later in life.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1. Clayton, Nanalee. Young Living. Mission Hills: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1990.
2. Ward, Brian R. Diet and Nutrition. New York: Franklin Watts, 1987.
3. Experts at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and the Nemours Children’s Clinics. "Kidshealth.org." http://kidshealth.org/index.html (5 Oct. 1998)
4.Creative Communications Service. "UC Davis Health Systems Wellness Center." http://wellness.ucdavis.edu/index.html (5 Oct. 1998)
5. Guttadaurdo, Ellen. "Re:Could You Help?" Personal e-mail (7 Oct. 1998)
6. Novick, Emily. "Teen Health Info." Personal e-mail. (9 Nov. 1998)
7. Olson, Tim. "Science Fair Project-Reply." Personal e-mail. (31 Dec. 1998)
8. Olson, Tim. "Reply." Personal e-mail. (7 Jan. 1999)
9. Olson, Tim. "Mr.. Olson-Reply." Personal e-mail. (8 Jan. 1999)
DATA/RESULTS:
---On average, students get5 servings of breads each day,
2.5 fruits
2 vegetables
3 dairy products
3.5 proteins
3 fats & sweets.
---Seventh graders eat fast food 3 times each week, on average.
---Teenagers should get 5-10 hours of exercise per week, depending
on their diets.
On average, they get 7.5 hours.
---Most adolescents get an average of 8 hours of sleep each
night.
They should be getting 9-10.
---What Are Your Biggest Stressors?
49%-School
15%-Parents
14%-Friends
8%-Sports
7%- Siblings
4%- Being Tired
2%-Opposite Sex
1%-Being a Good Person
(activities w/less than 1% not included)
---Are You A Vegetarian?
94%-No
3%-yes
3%was at one time/somewhat
What Kinds of Exercise do you do?
32%-running
29%-PE
14%-basketball
6%-baseball
4%-soccer
3%-swimming
3%-aerobics
3%-dance
2%-volleyball
2%-gymnastics
1%-tennis
Are You Concerned About Proper Nutrition?
68%-Yes ...................21%-No .............................11%-Somewhat
How Often Do You Feel Stressed?
50%-Occasionally..................... 22%-Often ...................28%-Rarely
How do You Relieve Stress?
19%-sleep
18%-be alone
14%-eat
14%-exercise
12%-TV
7%-violence
5%-spend time w/ friends/discuss problems
5%-listen to music
4%-computer
1%-baths
1%-pray
___________________________________________________________________________
Science Fair Data Binder
Table of Contents:
Title:
• Research Plan
• Notes/Guidelines/Requirements
• My Project: Scientific Method
• Bibliography (full)
• Tri-panel Graphs and Paragraphs
• Research/Background Information
• A Last Word: Improvements
• Special Thanks to…
• Surveys
• Consent Forms
• Extra Tri-panel Graphs and Paragraphs (back pocket)