Campbellsville University's Dr. Day inspires obesity grant for Clay County

CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY (02/22/2011)(readMedia)-- Campbellsville University's Dr. Jill Day's research has helped to secure Clay County a grant through Kosair's Children's Hospital in Louisville, Ky.

Day, a professor in Campbellsville University's Department of Human Performance, who was also born and reared in Clay County, conducted a survey while attending college at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.

She took 277 fourth and fifth graders and gave them pedometers to measure their activity. The result of this experiment was the acknowledgement that almost half, 48 percent, of the childhood population of Clay County was obese.

Day said, "Overweight or obese children have a greater risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and joint problems. I conducted a research study examining activity levels and the prevalence of childhood obesity in my hometown of Manchester, Ky. Clay County is a rural county located in eastern Kentucky and is one of the poorest, and, therefore, unhealthiest counties in the nation."

After releasing this information about childhood obesity, it was published by newspapers in the hopes to raise awareness about this growing problem. Clay County's school administrators were able to use this information to campaign for a grant from Kosair's Children's Hospital.

Day's research on obesity has been published in The Washington Post in August 2010.

The grant will be used to equip all Clay County students with a pedometer in order to track their steps and measure their exercise. By consciously seeing how much or how little a child does each day, this will encourage students to become healthier and more active.

For more information on Day's studies, contact her at jaday@campbellsville.edu or 270-789-5147.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 63 undergraduate programs, 17 master's degrees and five postgraduate areas. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.

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Cutline for attached photo: Dr. Jill Day teaches a sports law class at Campbellsville University. Her research on childhood obesity helped secure a grant for Clay County. (Campbellsville University Photo by Piao Yu)

Posted Tuesday February 22, 2011 at 01:52 pm by Campbellsville University
Last Updated Friday February 25, 2011 at 10:43 am