Dataset Information

Physical Activity Behaviors of Children Who Register for the Universal, State-Wide Active Kids Voucher: Who Did the Voucher Program Reach?

ABSTRACT: Active Kids is a government-led, universal voucher program that aims to reduce the cost of participation in structured physical activity for all school-enrolled children in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. As part of the Active Kids program evaluation, this cross-sectional study examined the Active Kids' program's reach to children in NSW and their physical activity behaviors, before voucher use. Demographic registration data from all children (4.5-18 years old) who registered for an Active Kids voucher in 2018 (n = 671,375) were compared with Census data. Binary and multinomial regression models assessed which correlates were associated with meeting physical activity guidelines and participation in the sessions of structured physical activity. The Active Kids program attracted more than half (53%) of all eligible children in NSW. Children who spoke a primary language other than English at home, were aged 15-18 years old, lived in the most disadvantaged areas, and girls, were less likely to register. Of the registered children, 70% had attended structured physical activity sessions at least once a week during the previous 12 months, whilst 19% achieved physical activity guidelines. Active Kids achieved substantial population reach and has the potential to improve children's physical activity behaviors.

SUBMITTER: Foley BC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7460334 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Physical Activity Behaviors of Children Who Register for the Universal, State-Wide Active Kids Voucher: Who Did the Voucher Program Reach?

Foley Bridget C BC Owen Katherine B KB Bellew William W Wolfenden Luke L Reilly Kathryn K Bauman Adrian E AE Reece Lindsey J LJ

International journal of environmental research and public health 20200806 16

Active Kids is a government-led, universal voucher program that aims to reduce the cost of participation in structured physical activity for all school-enrolled children in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. As part of the Active Kids program evaluation, this cross-sectional study examined the Active Kids' program's reach to children in NSW and their physical activity behaviors, before voucher use. Demographic registration data from all children (4.5-18 years old) who registered for an Active Kid ...[more]

PMID: 32781753

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Project description:BackgroundThere is an urgent need for scaled-up effective interventions which overcome barriers to health-enhancing physical activity for children and adolescents. In New South Wales (NSW), Australia, the state government implemented a universal voucher program, 'Active Kids' to support the cost of structured physical activity registration for school-enrolled children aged 4.5-18?years old. The objective of this study was to understand the effects a financial incentive intervention delivered in a real-world setting has on children and adolescent's physical activity participation.MethodIn 2018, all children and adolescents registered for an Active Kids voucher provided sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity and research consent. This prospective cohort study used an online survey with validated items to measure physical activity and other personal and social factors in children and adolescents who used an Active Kids voucher. Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine changes from registration to after voucher use at ?8?weeks, 9-26?weeks and???6?months.ResultsStudy participants reported increasing their days achieving physical activity guidelines from 4.0?days per week (95%CI 3.8, 4.2) at registration (n?=?37,626 children) to 4.9?days per week (95%CI 4.7, 5.1) after 6?months (n?=?14,118 children). Increased physical activity was observed for all sociodemographic population groups. The voucher-specific activity contributed 42.4% (95%CI 39.3, 45.5) to the total time children participated in structured physical activities outside of school. Children and adolescents who increased to, or maintained, high levels of activity were socially supported to be active, had active parent/caregivers, had better concentration and were overall happier than their low-active counterparts.ConclusionThe Active Kids program significantly increased children's physical activity levels and these increases continued over a six-month period. The Active Kids voucher program shows promise as a scaled-up intervention to increase children and adolescents' physical activity participation.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12618000897268 , approved May 29th, 2018 - Retrospectively registered.

Project description:PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of sit-to-stand and treadmill desks on sedentary behavior during a 12-month, cluster-randomized multicomponent intervention with an intent-to-treat design in overweight office workers.MethodsSixty-six office workers were cluster-randomized into a control (n = 21; 8 clusters), sit-to-stand desk (n = 23; 9 clusters), or treadmill desk (n = 22; 7 clusters) group. Participants wore an activPAL™ accelerometer for 7 d at baseline, month 3, month 6, and month 12 and received periodic feedback on their physical behaviors. The primary outcome was total daily sedentary time. Exploratory outcomes included total daily and workplace sedentary, standing and stepping time, and the number of total daily and workplace sedentary, standing, and stepping bouts. Intervention effects were analyzed using random-intercept mixed linear models accounting for repeated measures and clustering effects.ResultsTotal daily sedentary time did not significantly differ between or within groups after 12 months. Month 3 gains were observed in total daily and workplace standing time in both intervention groups (sit-to-stand desk: mean Δ ± SD, 1.03 ± 1.9 h·d-1 and 1.10 ± 1.87 h at work; treadmill desk: mean Δ ± SD, 1.23 ± 2.25 h·d-1 and 1.44 ± 2.54 h at work). At month 3, the treadmill desk users stepped more at the workplace than the control group (mean Δ ± SD, 0.69 ± 0.87 h). Month 6 gains in total daily stepping were observed within the sit-to-stand desk group (mean Δ ± SD, 0.82 ± 1.62 h·d-1), and month 3 gains in stepping at the workplace were observed for the treadmill desk group (mean Δ ± SD, 0.77 ± 0.83 h). These trends were sustained through month 12 in only the sit-to-stand desk group.ConclusionsActive-workstation interventions may cause short-term improvements in daily standing and stepping. Treadmill desk users engaged in fewer sedentary bouts, but sit-to-stand desks resulted in more frequent transitions to upright physical behaviors.

Dataset Information

Physical Activity Behaviors of Children Who Register for the Universal, State-Wide Active Kids Voucher: Who Did the Voucher Program Reach?

Publications

Physical Activity Behaviors of Children Who Register for the Universal, State-Wide Active Kids Voucher: Who Did the Voucher Program Reach?

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