GirlStars Program

Boston University: Partners in Health and Housing Prevention Research Center

Topics:
Healthy Youth | Nutrition & Physical Activity for Youth

Center researchers, community committee members, and other project partners are collaborating on the development and evaluation of GirlStars, a research project that aims to address the physical activity and health education needs of adolescent girls who live in Boston’s inner city public housing developments. Project activities take place at two Boston Housing Authority developments which together house over 2,800 individuals, many of whom are African American, Hispanic, or Latino. The project’s long-term goal is to promote a lifetime of physical activity and positive health-related behaviors.

Researchers will determine the program’s short-term effects such as changes in participants’ physical activity levels, weight, and health-risk behaviors (such as smoking and substance use). Long-term studies will determine whether behavior changes made during the program are maintained after the program ends. Project evaluators will use both qualitative and quantitative methods to understand the girls’ motivation and identify factors that maximize their enrollment and continued participation in the GirlStars program.

 

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