Kibum Cho, a graduate student in the CPASS Coaching and Teaching Studies program, was awarded a 2016 SHAPE America Research Council grant. The Committee selected Cho’s grant proposal titled: Exploring Appalachian Guardians’ Opt-In and Out Decisions of Children School-Based Health Screenings and awarded Cho $2,215 in funding.
The grant recognizes an elite group of students. “This is a competitive process that funds five to six awards to doctoral students nationwide per year,” explained Emily Jones, assistant professor, Physical Education Teacher Education.
Cho acknowledges the critical support he received from faculty and the CARDIAC Project team. “Dr. Jones, who is my advisor, is one of the greatest mentors I have ever met. She is the type of mentor who directly helps students have appropriate opportunities, so her feedback is always immediate and specific,” Cho added. He credits their help in preparing the grant.
While at CPASS, Cho has grown his research portfolio. “As a research assistant, I participated in Greenbrier CHOICES Project for three years. I regularly visited schools for data collection, so I could have an opportunity to talk with students and PE teachers about building healthy schools. This experience helped me expand my research perspectives and ideas on school-based research,” he said.
Cho’s research interest examines building healthy schools with a specific focus on comprehensive programs. According to Cho, to make healthy schools, the role of organization and teacher is important, but the active participation of parents in school-based health programs is equally vital.
Cho examined direct and indirect determinants of parent's opt-in and -out intentions of their child's school-based health screening.
Many studies reflect on the challenge of promoting participation rate. Cho points out that school-based health screening is essential due to the increased access to health services and financial benefit. Parents decide whether to allow her/his child to participate in the health screening. Participation rates in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 were only 27.3 and 26.7 percent respectively.
According to Cho, this means that more than 70 percent of parents did not allow their child to participate in school-based health screening. Although researchers have attempted various strategies including use of colorful consent forms and no-cost participation fee, the high level of opt-out has continued.
Cho hopes that the study will provide an understanding of Appalachian parent attitudes and intentions about children's health and health screening. His focus is to help in the development of targeted health messages for children and families within the region.
“These contributions are meaningful because West Virginia is the only state entirely classified as Appalachia, causing uniqueness of individual development process and limitation of healthcare services,” he stated.
Cho recommends that students who hope to succeed in research actively participate in various distinguished lectures, grant seminars and workshops at WVU. “Research ideas always come from accumulated knowledge,” Cho said.
The College previously recognized Cho’s efforts in research through the Graduate Research Award during the third annual CPASS Research Day in 2015. He has received the WVAHPERD Ethnic Minority Graduate Fellowship in 2015 and the Best Graduate Student Mentor Award in 2009.