WIP 28 - Team KiPOW! (Kid Power!) Cornell: Studying the Impact of A Service-Learning Opportunity on Medical Students’ Self-Efficacy in Lifestyle Counseling

Poster Number: WIP 28
Publication Number: WIP 28.2355

Background: The Team Kid Power! (Team KiPOW!) program implements health policy at local elementary schools to improve dietary and exercise practices through evidence-based methods. Trained medical students visit schools weekly to teach an interactive health curriculum, eat a healthy snack with the children to model healthy behaviors, and lead them in active play.
Lifestyle counseling and motivational interviewing are critical clinical skills that allow for more comprehensive, patient-centered care. Studies show medical students are lacking confidence in this domain, particularly in pediatric nutrition counseling. Understanding whether this service-learning program increases self-efficacy in patient counseling will demonstrate a way medical students can practice these skills beyond the traditional classroom and clinical environments.

Objective: To determine the impact that participation in Team KiPOW! school sessions has on medical student mentors’ skills and confidence in lifestyle counseling.

Design/Methods: Anonymous electronic surveys are distributed via RedCap to medical students before and after they have participated in at least three sessions. Our goal sample size is 100. IRB exemption was obtained.
The Childhood Obesity Prevention Self-Efficacy Survey is a validated, 18-item questionnaire we are administering. Additionally, we are asking about students’ experiences as mentors, and if they have received any education on lifestyle counseling within their school curriculum. Data collection began in September 2023 and will continue through January 2024. Using a paired sample t-test, we will measure changes in survey responses before and after participation in the KiPOW! Program. We will use descriptive statistics to describe the range of answers offered for each individual question.