R. Glenn Weaver

System for Observing Staff Promotion of Activity and Nutrition (SOSPAN)

BACKGROUND Frontline-staff are critical to achieving policies related to child physical activity and nutrition (PAaN) in out-of-school-time programs (OSTP). Recent policies call upon staff to demonstrate behaviors related to PAaN. Currently, no instrument exists to measure these behaviors. This study fills the gap between policy mandates and staff behaviors by describing the development of the System for Observing Staff Promotion of Activity and Nutrition (SOSPAN) in OSTP. METHODS SOSPAN items were aligned with existing OSTP policies. Reliability and validity data of SOSPAN were collected across 8 OSTP: 4 summer day camps and 4 afterschool programs. Validity of SOSPAN staff behaviors/management of PA was established using the percent of children active measured concurrently via direct observation. RESULTS A total of 6437 scans were performed. Interrater percent agreement ranged from 74%-99% across PAaN behaviors. Childrens activity was associated with staff facilitative behaviors/management, such as playing with the children and providing 2 or more activities for children to choose, while prohibitive behaviors/management, such as waiting in line were related to increased sedentary behavior. Staff nutrition behaviors were observed in less than 0.6% of scans. CONCLUSION SOSPAN is a reliable and valid tool to assess staff behaviors/management of PAaN in OSTPs.

Making policy practice in afterschool programs: A randomized controlled trial on physical activity changes

INTRODUCTION In the U.S., afterschool programs are asked to promote moderate to vigorous physical activity. One policy that has considerable public health importance is Californias afterschool physical activity guidelines that indicate all children attending an afterschool program accumulate 30 minutes each day the program is operating. Few effective strategies exist for afterschool programs to meet this policy goal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a multistep adaptive intervention designed to assist afterschool programs in meeting the 30-minute/day moderate to vigorous physical activity policy goal. DESIGN A 1-year group randomized controlled trial with baseline (spring 2013) and post-assessment (spring 2014). Data were analyzed 2014. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Twenty afterschool programs, serving >1,700 children (aged 6-12 years), randomized to either an intervention (n=10) or control (n=10) group. INTERVENTION The employed framework, Strategies To Enhance Practice, focused on intentional programming of physical activity opportunities in each afterschool programs daily schedule and included professional development training to establish core physical activity competencies of staff and afterschool program leaders with ongoing technical assistance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was accelerometry-derived proportion of children meeting the 30-minute/day moderate to vigorous physical activity policy. RESULTS Children attending intervention afterschool programs had an OR of 2.37 (95% CI=1.58, 3.54) to achieve the physical activity policy at post-assessment compared to control afterschool programs. Sex-specific models indicated that the percentage of intervention girls and boys achieving the physical activity policy increased from 16.7% to 21.4% (OR=2.85, 95% CI=1.43, 5.68) and 34.2% to 41.6% (OR=2.26, 95% CI=1.35, 3.80), respectively. At post-assessment, six intervention afterschool programs increased the proportion of boys achieving the physical activity policy to ≥45% compared to one control afterschool program, whereas three intervention afterschool programs increased the proportion of girls achieving physical activity policy to ≥30% compared to no control afterschool programs. CONCLUSIONS The Strategies To Enhance Practice intervention can make meaningful changes in the proportion of children meeting the moderate to vigorous physical activity policy within one school year. Additional efforts are required to enhance the impact of the intervention.

A Coordinated Comprehensive Professional Development Training’s Effect on Summer Day Camp Staff Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Promoting Behaviors

BACKGROUND The YMCA of USA recently adopted Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards for their summer-day-camps (SDCs). Standards call for staff to exhibit HEPA promoting behaviors while eliminating HEPA discouraging behaviors. No studies have evaluated training programs to influence policy specified staff behaviors and related changes in child activity in SDCs. METHOD Four YMCA SDCs serving approximately 800 children/week participated in this no control group pre/post pilot study. Professional development training founded in the 5 Ms (Mission, Model, Manage, Monitor, Maximize) and LET US Play principles (lines; elimination; team size; uninvolved staff/kids; and space, equipment, and rules) was delivered to staff. Outcomes were staff promotion behaviors and child activity assessed via systematic observation instruments. RESULTS Twelve of 17 HEPA staff behaviors changed in the appropriate direction from baseline to postassessment with 5 behaviors reaching statistically significant changes. The percentage of girls and boys observed in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity increased from 15.3% to 18.3% (P > .05) and 17.9% to 21.2%, whereas sedentary behavior decreased from 66.8% to 59.8% and 62.3% to 53.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION Evidence suggests that the professional development training designed to assist SDCs to meet the HEPA Standards can lead to important changes in staff behaviors and childrens physical activity.BACKGROUND The YMCA of USA recently adopted Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards for their summer-day- camps (SDCs). Standards call for staff to exhibit HEPA promoting behaviors while eliminating HEPA discouraging behaviors. No studies have evaluated training programs to influence policy specified staff behaviors and related changes in child activity in SDCs. METHOD Four YMCA SDCs serving approximately 800 children/week participated in this no control group pre/post pilot study. Professional development training founded in the 5 Ms (Mission, Model, Manage, Monitor, Maximize) and LET US Play principles (lines; elimination; team size; uninvolved staff/kids; and space, equipment, and rules) was delivered to staff. Outcomes were staff promotion behaviors and child activity assessed via systematic observation instruments. RESULTS Twelve of 17 HEPA staff behaviors changed in the appropriate direction from baseline to postassessment with 5 behaviors reaching statistically significant changes. The percentage of girls and boys observed in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity increased from 15.3% to 18.3% (P > .05) and 17.9% to 21.2%, whereas sedentary behavior decreased from 66.8% to 59.8% and 62.3% to 53.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION Evidence suggests that the professional development training designed to assist SDCs to meet the HEPA Standards can lead to important changes in staff behaviors and childrens physical activity.

Making Healthy Eating Policy Practice: A Group Randomized Controlled Trial on Changes in Snack Quality, Costs, and Consumption in After-School Programs

Purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate an intervention designed to assist after-school programs (ASPs) in meeting snack nutrition policies that specify that a fruit or vegetable be served daily and sugar-sweetened beverages/foods and artificially flavored foods eliminated. Design. The study used a 1-year group-randomized controlled trial. Setting. The study took place in ASPs operating in South Carolina, United States. Subjects. Twenty ASPs serving over 1700 children were recruited, match-paired postbaseline on enrollment size and days fruits/vegetables were served per week, and randomized to either intervention (n = 10) or control (n = 10) groups. Intervention. The study used Strategies To Enhance Practice for Healthy Eating (STEPs-HE), a multistep adaptive intervention framework that assists ASP leaders and staff to serve snacks that meet nutrition policies while maintaining cost. Measures. Direct observation of snacks served and consumed and monthly snack expenditures as determined by receipts were used. Analysis. The study used nonparametric and mixed-model repeated measures. Results. By postassessment, intervention ASPs increased serving of fruits/vegetables to 3.9 ± 2.1 vs. 0.7 ± 1.7 d/wk and decreased serving sugar-sweetened beverages to 0.1 ± 0.7 vs. 1.8 ± 2.4 d/wk and sugar-sweetened foods to 0.3 ± 1.1 vs. 2.7 ± 2.5 d/wk compared to controls, respectively. Cost of snacks increased by

Association of environment and policy characteristics on children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and time spent sedentary in afterschool programs.

0.02/snack in the intervention ASPs (

Physical Activity Opportunities in Afterschool Programs

0.36 to

Physical activity outcomes in afterschool programs: A group randomized controlled trial.

0.38) compared to a

Process evaluation of an intervention to increase child activity levels in afterschool programs.

0.01 per snack decrease in the control group (

Choosing between responsive-design websites versus mobile apps for your mobile behavioral intervention: presenting four case studies

0.39 to

Understanding differences between summer vs. school obesogenic behaviors of children: the structured days hypothesis

0.38). Across both assessments and groups, 80% to 100% of children consumed FVs. Conclusions. The STEPs-HE intervention can assist ASPs in meeting nationally endorsed nutrition policies with marginal increases in cost.