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Utilizing Wisconsin Afterschool Programs to Increase Physical Activity in Youth

Bradley D Cavanagh1, Amy Meinen2

  • 1American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, 2850 Dairy Drive, Suite 300, Madison, WI 53718. brad.cavanagh@heart.org.

The Journal of School Health
|September 3, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Afterschool programs can increase children's physical activity (PA) to combat obesity. Recommendations focus on leveraging school wellness policies and staff training for better PA integration.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Childhood Obesity Interventions
  • Afterschool Program Research

Background:

  • Childhood obesity affects approximately 31.7% of US children.
  • Afterschool settings offer a potential venue for obesity interventions.
  • Limited research exists on afterschool program interventions for physical activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate methods for increasing physical activity (PA) in Wisconsin afterschool programs.
  • To develop evidence-based recommendations for enhancing PA in afterschool settings.

Main Methods:

  • A literature review informed the development of key informant interviews.
  • Constant comparative method was used to code interview data and identify themes.
  • Themes, literature review, and expert opinions guided recommendation formulation.

Main Results:

  • Programs successfully used various resources to boost PA.
  • Barriers included academic restrictions, need for provider education, conflict fears, and misunderstanding of health vs. sedentary behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is needed to improve PA in Wisconsin afterschool programs.
  • Specific recommendations include using school wellness policies and staff professional development to enhance PA.
Abstract

Keywords:
afterschoolobesityoverweightphysical activityschools

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