An overview of the Connect through PLAY trial to increase physical activity in underserved adolescents

The Connect through Positive Leisure Activities for Youth (Connect through PLAY) trial is a prospective, randomized controlled trial implemented within pre-existing afterschool programs (ASPs) comparing a staff-based social development physical activity (PA) program to a health curriculum active control. The efficacy trial aims to improve staff capacity for implementing effective physical activity (PA) programming within ASPs serving underserved youth (minority, low-income) through enhancing the influence of ASP staff as key change agents and addressing the social development needs of adolescents.

The 5-year cluster randomized trial will involve 30 ASPs that are randomized to either the Connect through PLAY intervention or the active health curriculum control.

The Connect through PLAY intervention employs a novel theoretical framework that targets three key social mechanisms for increased and sustained PA of staff and youth including youth-peer connections/friendships, group belonging, and staff-youth connections. All components of the intervention are designed to improve staff capacity for facilitating a PA context that supports these social mechanisms and increases the influence of ASP staff as positive PA role models and agents of change. Compared to control sites, ASPs receiving Connect through PLAY are expected to show greater improvements from baseline to post- and 6-month follow-up on youth PA, staff PA, and social mechanisms.

The results of the Connect through PLAY trial will demonstrate the efficacy of the intervention and will assist in developing a model of training, motivating, and empowering ASP staff to address social mechanisms that promote youth PA.