Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

What is the 4-Health Educational Program? 

The 4-Health program provides important nutrition, physical activity, body image information, and parenting skills to improve preteen health. This program was designed for parents and families living in rural Montana. Please Note: While the term “parent” will be used throughout this guide, it refers to all parents, guardians, grandparents, and other significant adults who may parent, guide, or teach the preteen referred to in this program.

What information did Montana 4-H parents share to help shape this program?

• Parents know they have a very important role in their preteen’s life. They know it’s their role to provide their preteen with the foundation for their physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual growth. This can be challenging because some days preteens seem so young and dependent and the next day they seem so “grown up,” and are seeking independence.
• “Busy” is the best way parents described their lives right now. They are managing parenting, family life, work, and community responsibilities.
• Parents know how important a healthy lifestyle is for their preteen now, as their bodies and minds are maturing, and as a foundation for their future health. They are looking for new and innovative ways to help their children develop healthy habits in the areas of food and nutrition, body image, and physical activity.

What are goals of the 4-Health Program?

• One goal of this program is to help parents learn how to make lasting changes that improve health for their preteens and families. The creators of 4-Health are well-versed in motivation and behavior change and are excited to share these strategies with participants. Making lasting changes is accomplished by taking small steps, finding out what works, setting a plan, and making the healthy choice the easy and practical choice.
• Another goal of the 4-Health Program is to improve health in a way that is a sure fit for families. This includes helping out with very important family concerns such as limited time, money, and energy. Finding workable ways to make changes in a family may take several different approaches, but the benefits of figuring out what works is worth the time and effort. This program will help explore essential information and behaviors connected with improving health through food and nutrition, physical activity and body image.

What makes the 4-Health Program unique?

• This program was designed for busy parents with time constraints. It consists of 10 educational sessions over an eight-month period. The educational sessions provide useful and engaging information and activities, while allowing a high level of parent interaction and discussion.
• This program will be fun for all! Sessions are action packed and combine activities that help participants to understand and deal with real-life situations, as well as provide practical information for preteens and families. Examples of activities include opportunities for cooking new food, exploring invigorating physical activities, and sharing parenting success stories.
• This program will provide participants with a variety of free resources (stuff) that will make improving health easier, less time consuming, and more fun.
• The creators of this program want to learn from participating parents and families. The health of children and adults is everyone’s concern. Health researchers recognize that they do not have all the answers to help people be healthy, especially in rural areas. Hopefully, the information exchanged between facilitators and participants of this program will create new knowledge that can be shared through Montana and the nation.

 

Why is the 4-Health Program only for 4-H parents and not other parents who have more challenges with their family’s health?

• 4-H makes strong families stronger! The aim of this program is to work with families that have many strengths and strong ties with their communities. 4-H families are a great fit. The program was initially developed for 4-H parents, but will be offered to other parents at a later date.

 

Why work with parents of preteens and not parents of younger or older youth?

• The preteen years present excellent opportunities for improving health. Preteens are still very close to their families, so parent education can effectively improve the food and nutrition habits, physical activity level, and body image of preteens.

 

Why is the 4-Health Program eight months?

• Eight months provides enough time for parents to make lasting changes that are significant in improving preteen and family health. In addition, with busy schedules, many parents said it would be difficult to attend weekly classes.