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Published on: March 7, 2019
Evaluation of a statewide dissemination and implementation of physical activity intervention in afterschool programs:
Michael W Beets1, R Glenn Weaver2, Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy2
1University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St, 1st Flr Office Suite, RM 131, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA. beets@mailbox.sc.edu.
Insights
YMCA afterschool programs aimed for 30 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). While initial results showed no overall program improvement, higher implementation of training strategies correlated with increased child MVPA.
Area of Science:
- Public Health Interventions
- Childhood Obesity Prevention
- Afterschool Program Effectiveness
Background:
- YMCA afterschool programs (ASPs) committed to a national standard of 30 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for children.
- This study evaluated the first year of a statewide intervention to achieve this MVPA standard.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the dissemination, implementation, and outcomes of a statewide intervention aimed at increasing children's MVPA in YMCA ASPs.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of professional development training on MVPA accumulation.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental design was used, sampling 20 YMCA ASPs in South Carolina.
- Data were collected at baseline and first-year follow-up using accelerometers for MVPA and direct observation for implementation fidelity.
- The RE-AIM framework guided the evaluation, with intent-to-treat (ITT) and as-treated analyses.
Main Results:
- Reach and adoption of the training were variable across programs.
- ITT analyses showed no significant changes in the percentage of programs meeting the MVPA standard for boys or girls.
- Higher levels of implementation (moderate to high) were associated with significant increases in both boys' and girls' MVPA.
Conclusions:
- While overall program-level MVPA did not improve, the findings suggest that implementing training components can lead to increased physical activity in children.
- Further research is needed to optimize staff training attendance and identify specific factors driving MVPA gains.
Abstract:
In 2015, YMCA-operated afterschool programs (ASPs) across South Carolina pledged to achieve the national standard that calls for every child to accumulate 30 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during program time. This study shares the first-year findings related to the dissemination, implementation, and outcomes associated with the statewide intervention to achieve the MVPA Standard. Twenty ASPs were sampled from all YMCA-operated ASPs (N = 97) and visited at baseline (spring 2015) and first-year follow-up (spring 2016). Programs were provided standardized professional development training to increase the MVPA children accumulated while attending ASPs. The training focused on extending the scheduled time for activity opportunities and modifying commonly played games to increase MVPA. The RE-AIM framework was used to evaluate the statewide intervention. Accelerometer-derived MVPA was the primary outcome. Implementation was evaluated via direct observation. Intent-to-treat (ITT) and as-treated comparisons were conducted in summer 2016. Reach/adoption was variable, with attendance at trainings ranging from 0 to 100% across ASPs. Effectiveness of the intervention using ITT models indicated no changes from baseline in the percentage of programs meeting the MVPA standard for boys or girls. Implementation levels also varied and were related to increases in both boys' and girls' MVPA for moderate and high implementers. Findings indicate improvements in MVPA can be made from attending the trainings and implementing some or all of the training components. Additional work is necessary to identify ways to ensure staff attend trainings to implement strategies and to identify which specific factors contributed to increases in MVPA.
