Dive Into Wellness: A Transformative Swim Program to Empower Preadolescent Girls’ Healthy Lifestyles

Background:

The levels of physical activity and healthy dietary practices among girls diminish as they progress through adolescence. These patterns might be associated with an insufficient development of identities connected to exercise and healthy eating. Youth programs could benefit from focusing on identity formation as an innovative strategy for health promotion, particularly during the critical preadolescent phase of life.

Objectives:

The aim of this research is to investigate healthy identities and behaviors in a group of preadolescent girls who engaged in SPLASH, a multifaceted youth initiative centered around identity development (“I am an exerciser”; “I am a healthy eater”), physical activities, and nutritious eating.

Methods:

SPLASH was trialed at a community-centered recreational facility located in the Midwest region of the United States. Participants had varying levels of program accessibility: all girls (N = 32, age = 10.6 ± 0.8) took part in a week-long summer day camp, while a subset (n = 16) received additional access to a 10-week eHealth initiative. Utilizing a feasibility framework, we evaluated SPLASH’s (1) initial effectiveness, (2) execution, and (3) acceptability.

Results:

Participation in the camp led to enhancements in the exercise identities and behaviors of girls. At the follow-up stage, participants in the camp-plus-eHealth group indicated more significant advancements in their enjoyment of physical activity compared to those in the camp-only group.

Conclusions:

SPLASH represents a promising health promotion program focused on identity for preadolescent girls. Community backing and family involvement were pivotal to this pilot investigation. The program’s impact should be evaluated in further communities.