Are We There Yet? Compliance with Physical Activity Standards in YMCA Afterschool Programs

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Health
• Exercise Science

Background:

• YMCA of the United States implemented physical activity standards in 2011 for afterschool programs (ASPs).
• These standards require children to accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily.
• The actual achievement of this MVPA standard by children in YMCA ASPs remains unquantified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the extent to which children in YMCA afterschool programs meet the 30-minute MVPA standard.
• To identify program characteristics associated with higher MVPA levels in children attending YMCA ASPs.

Main Methods:

• A cluster-stratified design was employed, sampling 20 YMCA ASPs in South Carolina.
• Accelerometer data were used to measure children's MVPA over four nonconsecutive weekdays.
• Programmatic factors were assessed via document review and observation, analyzed against MVPA using random-effects quantile regression.

Main Results:

• Boys (n=607) achieved a median of 25.3 min/day MVPA (33% met standard), while girls (n=475) achieved 17.1 min/day (17% met standard).
• Increased scheduled activity time, reduced sedentary options, and staff training in activity promotion correlated with higher MVPA.
• Program revenue, free play structure, and space type showed inconsistent associations with meeting the MVPA standard.

Conclusions:

• Modifiable programmatic elements are linked to increased MVPA in children.
• Simple adjustments to afterschool program structures can potentially help achieve MVPA standards, irrespective of facility or funding.