Dataset Information

Improving nutrition and physical activity policies in afterschool programs: results from a group-randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Afterschool programs can be health-promoting environments for children. Written policies positively influence nutrition and physical activity (PA) environments, but effective strategies for building staff capacity to write such policies have not been evaluated. This study measures the comprehensiveness of written nutrition, PA, and screen time policies in afterschool programs and assesses impact of the Out of School Nutrition and Physical Activity (OSNAP) intervention on key policies. METHODS:Twenty afterschool programs in Boston, MA participated in a group-randomized, controlled trial from September 2010 to June 2011. Intervention program staff attended learning collaboratives focused on practice and policy change. The Out-of-School Time (OST) Policy Assessment Index evaluated written policies. Inter-rater reliability and construct validity of the measure and impact of the intervention on written policies were assessed. RESULTS:The measure demonstrated moderate to excellent inter-rater reliability (Spearman's r=0.53 to 0.97) and construct validity. OSNAP was associated with significant increases in standards-based policy statements surrounding snacks (+2.6, p=0.003), beverages (+2.3, p=0.008), screen time (+0.8, p=0.046), family communication (+2.2, p=0.002), and a summary index of OSNAP goals (+3.3, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS:OSNAP demonstrated success in building staff capacity to write health-promoting policy statements. Future research should focus on determining policy change impact on practices.

SUBMITTER: Kenney EL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5369229 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Improving nutrition and physical activity policies in afterschool programs: results from a group-randomized controlled trial.

Kenney Erica L EL Giles Catherine M CM deBlois Madeleine E ME Gortmaker Steven L SL Chinfatt Sherene S Cradock Angie L AL

Preventive medicine 20140615

<h4>Objective</h4>Afterschool programs can be health-promoting environments for children. Written policies positively influence nutrition and physical activity (PA) environments, but effective strategies for building staff capacity to write such policies have not been evaluated. This study measures the comprehensiveness of written nutrition, PA, and screen time policies in afterschool programs and assesses impact of the Out of School Nutrition and Physical Activity (OSNAP) intervention on key po ...[more]

PMID: 24941286

Similar Datasets

Project description:In the U.S., afterschool programs are asked to promote moderate to vigorous physical activity. One policy that has considerable public health importance is California's afterschool physical activity guidelines that indicate all children attending an afterschool program accumulate 30 minutes each day the program is operating. Few effective strategies exist for afterschool programs to meet this policy goal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a multistep adaptive intervention designed to assist afterschool programs in meeting the 30-minute/day moderate to vigorous physical activity policy goal.A 1-year group randomized controlled trial with baseline (spring 2013) and post-assessment (spring 2014). Data were analyzed 2014.Twenty afterschool programs, serving >1,700 children (aged 6-12 years), randomized to either an intervention (n=10) or control (n=10) group.The employed framework, Strategies To Enhance Practice, focused on intentional programming of physical activity opportunities in each afterschool program's daily schedule and included professional development training to establish core physical activity competencies of staff and afterschool program leaders with ongoing technical assistance.The primary outcome was accelerometry-derived proportion of children meeting the 30-minute/day moderate to vigorous physical activity policy.Children attending intervention afterschool programs had an OR of 2.37 (95% CI=1.58, 3.54) to achieve the physical activity policy at post-assessment compared to control afterschool programs. Sex-specific models indicated that the percentage of intervention girls and boys achieving the physical activity policy increased from 16.7% to 21.4% (OR=2.85, 95% CI=1.43, 5.68) and 34.2% to 41.6% (OR=2.26, 95% CI=1.35, 3.80), respectively. At post-assessment, six intervention afterschool programs increased the proportion of boys achieving the physical activity policy to ?45% compared to one control afterschool program, whereas three intervention afterschool programs increased the proportion of girls achieving physical activity policy to ?30% compared to no control afterschool programs.The Strategies To Enhance Practice intervention can make meaningful changes in the proportion of children meeting the moderate to vigorous physical activity policy within one school year. Additional efforts are required to enhance the impact of the intervention.

Project description:BackgroundIn 2015, YMCA afterschool programs (ASPs) across South Carolina, USA pledged to achieve the YMCA physical activity standard calling for all children to accumulate 30 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) while attending their ASPs. This study presents the final two-year outcomes from the dissemination and implementation efforts associated with achieving this MVPA standard.MethodsTwenty ASPs were sampled from all South Carolina YMCA-operated ASPs (N = 97) and visited at baseline (2015) and first (2016) and second year (2017) follow-up. All ASPs were provided training to increase MVPA during the program by 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. Intent-to-treat (ITT) models were conducted summer 2017. Programs were also classified, based on changes in MVPA from 2015 to 2016 and 2016-2017, into one of three categories: gain, maintain, or lost. Implementation, within the three groups, was evaluated via direct observation and document review.ResultsAdoption during the first year was 45% of staff attending training, with this increasing to 67% of staff during the second year. ITT models indicated no increase in the odds of accumulating 30 min of MVPA after the first year for either boys (odds ratio [OR] 1.06, 95CI 0.86-1.31) or girls (OR 1.14, 95CI 0.87-1.50), whereas an increase in the odds was observed during the second year for boys (OR 1.31, 95CI 1.04-1.64) and girls (OR 1.50 95CI 1.01-1.80). Programs that lost MVPA (avg. - 5 to - 7.5 min/d MVPA) elected to modify their program in a greater number of non-supportive ways (e.g., reduce time for activity opportunities, less time spent outdoors), whereas ASPs that gained MVPA (avg. + 5.5 to + 10.1 min MVPA) elected to modify their program in more supportive ways.ConclusionsThe statewide study demonstrated minimal improvements in overall MVPA. However, child MVPA was dramatically influenced by ASPs who elected to modify their daily program in more supportive than non-supportive ways, with no one program modifying their program consistently across the multi-year initiative. These findings have important implications for organizations seeking to achieve the MVPA standard.Trial registrationClinical Trial Registration: NCT02394717 .

Project description:BackgroundAlthough the majority of Ghanaian women receive antenatal care (ANC), many exhibit low health literacy by misinterpreting and incorrectly operationalizing ANC messages, leading to poor maternal and newborn health outcomes. Prior research in low-resource settings has found group antenatal care (G-ANC) feasible for women and providers. This study aims to determine the effect of G-ANC on increasing maternal health literacy. We hypothesized that pregnant women randomized into G-ANC would exhibit a greater increase in maternal health literacy than women in routine, individual ANC.MethodsA 5-year cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 14 rural and peri-urban health facilities in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Facilities were paired based on patient volume and average gestational age at ANC enrollment and then randomized into intervention (G-ANC) vs. control (routine, individual ANC); 1761 pregnant women were recruited. Data collection occurred at baseline (T0) and post-birth (T2) using the Maternal Health Literacy scale, a 12-item composite scale to assess maternal health literacy. Logistic regression compared changes in health literacy from T0 to T2.ResultsOverall, women in both the intervention and control groups improved their health literacy scores over time (p < 0.0001). Women in the intervention group scored significantly higher on 3 individual items and on overall composite scores (p < 0.0001) and were more likely to attend 8 or more ANC visits.ConclusionWhile health literacy scores improved for all women attending ANC, women randomized into G-ANC exhibited greater improvement in overall health literacy post-birth compared to those receiving routine individual care. Life-saving information provided during ANC must be presented in an understandable format to prevent women and newborns from dying of preventable causes.Trial registryEthical approval for the study was obtained from the Institutional Review Boards of the University of Michigan (HUM#00161464) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS-ERC: 016/04/19).

Project description:There is consensus that policy coherence is necessary for implementing effective and sustainable approaches to tackle malnutrition. We look at whether policies and programmes provide a coherent pathway to address nutrition priorities and if programmes are designed to deliver interventions aligned to the nutrition policy agenda in Nigeria and Burkina Faso. A systematic desk review was performed on nutrition-relevant policy and programme documents, obtained through grey literature searches and expert recommendations. We developed a framework with an impact pathway structure that includes five process steps, which was used to guide coding, data reduction and synthesis and structure the analysis. We assessed internal coherence along process steps within a given document and external coherence across process steps for explicitly linked policy/programme pairs. The majority of policies and programmes had partial internal coherence for both countries. The identification of relevant nutrition interventions to address challenges and reach objectives was the strongest connection within policies (16 out of 45 had complete coherence) while among programmes the strongest connection was coverage indicators that measure interventions (9 out of 21 had complete coherence). Eight programmes explicitly referenced at least one nutrition-relevant policy with a total of 16 linked policy/programme pairs (13 pairs for Burkina Faso and 3 for Nigeria) across health, nutrition, agriculture, and social focus areas. However, none of the linked pairs were assessed to have complete external coherence suggesting that priorities at policy level are not fully realised nor translated at programme level. This study offers a new approach for assessment of policy and program coherence and specifically examines policy and program linkages. We conclude that improved leadership on country priority setting and better alignment for nutrition within and across sectors is needed to enhance the effectiveness of nutrition investments.

Dataset Information

Improving nutrition and physical activity policies in afterschool programs: results from a group-randomized controlled trial.

Publications

Improving nutrition and physical activity policies in afterschool programs: results from a group-randomized controlled trial.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets