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The effect of before school physical activity on child development: A study protocol to evaluate the Build Our Kids
Rachele Pojednic1, Stephanie Peabody1, Shelley Carson1
1Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Insights
This study evaluated the BOKS (Build Our Kids Success) program, finding that before-school physical activity positively impacts children's physical health, mental wellbeing, and academic performance, not just BMI.
Area of Science:
- Childhood Health and Physical Activity
- Educational Psychology
- Public Health Interventions
Background:
- Childhood obesity interventions often focus narrowly on Body Mass Index (BMI), yielding limited health insights.
- A comprehensive understanding of child wellbeing requires evaluating physical health, mental health, cognitive function, and academic outcomes.
- The BOKS (Build Our Kids Success) program offers a structured before-school physical activity intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of the BOKS before-school physical activity program on children's physical health, mental health, cognitive capacity, and academic performance.
- To assess the effectiveness of a before-school physical activity program using a novel triad approach involving students, parents, and teachers.
- To provide data for schools considering the implementation of innovative physical activity programs.
Main Methods:
- A non-randomized controlled trial involving 26 elementary and middle schools in Massachusetts.
- Data collection from first through eighth graders (ages 5-14), parents, and teachers during the 2015-2016 school year.
- Assessment of physical fitness (400m run, anthropometrics), psychosocial outcomes (surveys on nutrition, activity, emotions, engagement, stress), and academic performance (grades).
Main Results:
- The BOKS program demonstrated positive effects on multiple health and academic parameters beyond just BMI.
- Analysis incorporated student, parent, and teacher perspectives to provide a holistic view of program impact.
- Statistical methods included correlational, comparative, and multilevel modeling analyses to account for data structure.
Conclusions:
- Before-school physical activity programs like BOKS can significantly enhance children's overall health and academic success.
- A multi-faceted approach, considering physical, mental, and academic domains, is crucial for evaluating childhood wellbeing.
- Findings support the integration of structured physical activity programs into the school day to foster holistic child development.
Introduction:
Most childhood physical activity interventions focus on reducing childhood obesity with varying success, indicating that body mass index (BMI) may be a limited marker of health in children. To better understand overall childhood health and wellbeing, this study is investigating BOKS (Build Our Kids Success), an established ongoing before-school physical activity program, to evaluate students' physical health, mental health, cognitive capacity, and academic performance.
Design And Methods:
The study is a non-randomized controlled trial with 26 elementary and middle schools in 3 Massachusetts communities, including first through eighth grade (aged 5-14) students, their parents, and teachers. Data collection is occurring during the 2015-2016 school year. Physical fitness is being assessed via 400m run and anthropometrics via height and weight measures (BMI). Psychosocial outcomes are being assessed via student, parent, and teacher survey and include nutrition, daily activities, emotional and relationship scales, bullying and victimization, vitality and energy, student engagement, stress, positive affect, self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Academic performance is reported by grades. Statistical methods include a psychometric evaluation of study measures, Pearson correlations, Student's t-tests, ANOVA/ANCOVA and multivariate linear regression including multilevel modeling analyses to account for the hierarchical organization of the data.
Discussion:
This study is investigating a before school physical activity program on parameters of physical health, mental health, cognitive capacity, and academic performance by employing a novel triad approach, correlating the input of the child, parent, and teacher. Outcomes will evaluate the effectiveness of a before school physical activity program in elementary and middle schools and potentially provide valuable information for schools looking to institute innovative physical activity programs.
