Dataset Information

Evaluation of a comprehensive school physical activity program: Be a Champion!

ABSTRACT:

Background

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAPs) are widely supported to increase physical activity (PA) in schools, but little has been reported to inform a comprehensive evaluation effort. The purpose of this report is to describe a comprehensive evaluation and monitoring strategy for CSPAP implementation.

Methods

The System for Observing Staff Promotion of Activity and Nutrition (SOSPAN), System for Observing Student Movement in Academic Routines and Transitions (SOSMART), and System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity (SOPLAY) were employed to record student and staff behaviors (2642 total scans). To assess policies, practices, and environments, a CSPAP Policies and Practices questionnaire was used, which included components of the School Health Index, the School PA Policy Assessment, the School Environment and Policies Survey, and the School Health Policies and Practices Study. Youth PA (minutes/day) was assessed using accelerometers.

Results

Working with school sites to ascertain the number of opportunities that are provided for PA and the amount of PA students engage in is challenging but feasible. The use of systematic observation, accelerometers, and questionnaires can provide a comprehensive representation of policies, practices, and behaviors to aid in establishing targeted PA action items.

Conclusions

Developing an evaluation framework that was rigorous enough to assess the physical, social, and policy environment of a school in order to answer the overarching research questions of the study but flexible enough to be feasibly streamlined for utilization by a school implementation team proved to be challenging but possible.

SUBMITTER: Singletary CR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8258480 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundRegular participation in physical activity (PA) benefits children's health and well-being and protects against the development of unhealthy body weight. A key factor in children's PA participation is their motor competence (MC). The comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) framework offers a way to classify existing PA interventions that have included children's MC development and understand the potential avenues for supporting children's MC. However, there have been no systematic reviews or meta-analyses of PA interventions and their effects on the MC of elementary school children (aged 5-12 years) from a CSPAP perspective.MethodsThis study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. We searched seven electronic databases (PubMed/Medline, Embase, ERIC, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) for articles on 29 November 2021. The CSPAP framework was used to categorize the different intervention approaches. This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020179866).ResultsTwenty-seven studies were included in the review, and twenty-six studies were included in the meta-analysis. A wide range of PA intervention approaches (e.g., single component or multicomponent) within the context of the CSPAP framework appear to be promising pathways in enhancing children's MC. The results of the aggregate meta-analysis presented that effect sizes for the development of MC from pre-and post- intervention ranged from moderate to large (Hedges' g = 0.41-0.79). The analysis revealed that the predicted moderators, including study length, delivery agent, and study design, did not result in statistically significant moderate variations in MC outcomes. There was, however, considerable heterogeneity in study design, instruments, and study context, and studies were implemented in over 11 countries across diverse settings.ConclusionsThis study uniquely contributes to the literature through its primary focus on the effectiveness of PA interventions on elementary children's MC. This review emphasizes the importance of customizing CSPAP to fit the specific characteristics of each school setting, including its environmental, demographic, and resource attributes. The effectiveness of CSPAP, particularly its physical education (PE) component, is significantly enhanced when these programs are adapted to address the unique needs of each school. This adaptation can be effectively achieved through targeted professional teacher training, ensuring that PE programs are not only contextually relevant but also optimized for maximum impact in diverse educational environments. Researchers and practitioners should pursue how to effectively translate the evidence into practice to better conceptualize CSPAPs designed for children's MC development.

Project description:BACKGROUND:The school system is one setting in which children's physical activity levels may be increased through daily physical activity (DPA) policies and initiatives. Adherence to DPA policies is typically poor and results are limited in regard to the associated benefits for participating children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate a range of psychosocial outcomes following a community-led, in-school DPA initiative for 9-14 year old children and youth. METHODS:This program evaluation examined the impact of a DPA program consisting of 20 min of teacher-led DPA for 20 consecutive weeks. Student outcomes were measured using a questionnaire administered at three time points: baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention. A teacher questionnaire regarding program adherence and student behaviour was completed at post-intervention. Mixed effects models were used to test for intervention effects, with random intercepts for students, classes, and schools, as well as fixed effects for age and sex. Due to the large number of outcomes measured, we first conducted an omnibus test of the intervention effect followed by three exploratory analyses examining each outcome separately, associations between outcomes and program adherence, and results from the teacher survey. RESULTS:Thirty classes (N?=?19 experimental) from 7 schools participated in the study, with a total of 362 children (n?=?265 experimental). There was no significant overall effect of the intervention (z?=?0.89, p?=?0.38) and the exploratory analyses demonstrated significant differences only for self-esteem and subjective happiness, with the control group slightly increasing relative to the experimental group. Teacher-reported adherence to the program was poor with only 21% of teachers adhering to the program. There was no association between overall adherence and student reported outcomes; however, positive correlations were present between adherence and teacher-reported student behaviour. CONCLUSIONS:The DPA program evaluated here did not improve the psychosocial well-being of elementary school-aged children more than usual practices. However, adherence to the program was poor and it did not have a negative effect on the students. Future work is needed on how best to support DPA implementation in the context of the school day and how student well-being may be positively impacted through school-based physical activity. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Program Evaluation of an in-school Daily Physical Activity Initiative NCT03618927 , August 6, 2018. Retrospectively registered.

Project description:IntroductionRegular physical activity is important for positive health outcomes yet, most individuals do not meet physical activity guidelines. Recent studies show that one in five Canadians aged 15 or older have one or more disabilities, yet as a population, individuals with disabilities are 16%-62% less likely to meet physical activity guidelines. The COVID-19 pandemic created additional barriers to physical activity participation as lockdowns prevented in-person programming. In response to the pandemic, the Acadia University Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience (S.M.I.L.E.) Program shifted its programming to a virtual platform; however, there was little research to guide its creation, implementation, or expected outcomes. Thus, this program evaluation explored program feasibility and impact on physical activity and physical literacy.MethodA mixed methods case study approach was used for this project. Virtual S.M.I.L.E. took place over eight weeks in the fall of 2020. Programming consisted of three live Zoom sessions facilitated by trained program leaders, and eight weeks of at-home activity guides for participants to complete on their own time. Demographic data, physical literacy (PLAYself), and physical activity (IPAQ-A) data were collected using caregiver pre-and post-programming surveys. Throughout programming, weekly check-in surveys were sent to reflect on the previous week of programming. After the eight weeks of programming were complete, caregiver and leader interviews were conducted to understand both program implementation and performance perspectives.ResultsResults indicated that participants' (N = 15, Mage = 20.4 years) overall physical literacy and physical activity did not change; however, there was a decrease in the cognitive domain of physical literacy (p = 0.03). Caregiver and leader interviews highlighted five main themes following the virtual programming: (a) Virtual impact on programming; (b) Programming impact on social and motor goals; (c) Impact of program design; (d) Impact on physical activity; and (e) Program feasibility for families.DiscussionResults from this program evaluation suggest that physical literacy and physical activity levels were generally maintained throughout programming and caregivers indicated several social and activity benefits. Future work includes program modifications and further evaluation of virtual adapted physical activity programming to improve the physical literacy of individuals with disabilities.

Project description:BackgroundEffectively scaled-up physical activity interventions are urgently needed to address the high prevalence of physical inactivity. To facilitate scale-up of an efficacious school-based physical activity program (Physical Activity 4 Everyone [PA4E1]), provision of implementation support to physical education (PE) teachers was adapted from face-to-face and paper-based delivery modes to partial delivery via a website. A lack of engagement (usage and subjective experience) with digital delivery modes, including websites, may in part explain the typical reduction in effectiveness of scaled-up interventions that use digital delivery modes. A process evaluation focused on the PA4E1 website was undertaken.ObjectiveThe 2 objectives were to (1) describe the usage of the PA4E1 program website by in-school champions (PE teachers leading the program within their schools) and PE teachers using quantitative methods; (2) examine the usage, subjective experience, and usability of the PA4E1 program website from the perspective of in-school champions using mixed methods.MethodsThe first objective used website usage data collected across all users (n=273) throughout the 9 school terms of the PA4E1 implementation support. The 4 usage measures were sessions, page views, average session duration, and downloads. Descriptive statistics were calculated and explored across the duration of the 26-month program. The second objective used mixed methods, triangulating data from the first objective with data from a think-aloud survey and usability test completed by in-school champions (n=13) at 12 months. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically alongside descriptive statistics from the quantitative data in a triangulation matrix, generating cross-cutting themes using the "following a thread" approach.ResultsFor the first objective, in-school champions averaged 48.0 sessions per user, PE teachers 5.8 sessions. PE teacher sessions were of longer duration (10.5 vs 7.6 minutes) and included more page views (5.4 vs 3.4). The results from the mixed methods analysis for the second objective found 9 themes and 2 meta-themes. The first meta-theme indicated that the website was an acceptable and appropriate delivery mode, and usability of the website was high. The second meta-theme found that the website content was acceptable and appropriate, and identified specific suggestions for improvement.ConclusionsDigital health interventions targeting physical activity often experience issues of lack of user engagement. By contrast, the findings from both the quantitative and mixed methods analyses indicate high usage and overall acceptability and appropriateness of the PA4E1 website to school teachers. The findings support the value of the website within a multidelivery mode implementation intervention to support schools to implement physical activity promoting practices. The analysis identified suggested intervention refinements, which may be adopted for future iterations and further scale-up of the PA4E1 program.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12617000681358; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=372870.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Regular participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is important to manage obesity. Physical education (PE) is considered to play an important role in promoting lifelong participation in physical activity (PA) because it provides an existing network where cost-effective interventions can be implemented to produce sustainable change in health behavior. However, the association between compulsory school PA (e.g., PE lessons) and body composition levels has received mixed support in the literature. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether a school-based intervention targeting salient PA benefits and barriers grounded on the theory of planned behavior would promote young people's participation in MVPA during leisure time and reduce body mass index (BMI) of overweight students. METHODS/DESIGN:A total of 171 students from 3 secondary schools in Singapore underwent the control condition followed by the intervention condition. Both the conditions consisted of PE lessons twice per week over 4 weeks. In the control condition, PE teachers encouraged students to participate in PA during leisure time without providing persuasive message. While in the intervention condition, PE teachers delivered persuasive messages that targeted the salient benefits and barriers associated with PA to the students at the last 5 to 10 min of each PE lesson. PA levels over a week were measured objectively with wrist-mounted GENEActiv Original accelerometers and subjectively with self-reporting questionnaires three times (Baseline, Post 1, and Post 2) in each condition. Student's self-reported PA level was measured using the Leisure-Time Physical Activity Participation Questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and their attitudes, intentions, subjective norms and perceived behavior control towards leisure-time PA were measured with a questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior. Furthermore, students' intention, determination and willingness to engage in leisure-time PA were compared with the other activity (e.g., doing homework, shopping). DISCUSSION:This study will provide the evidence on the effectiveness of a cost-effective school-based intervention on reducing BMI of overweight students through promoting sustained participation in leisure-time PA. It will also address methodological issues on the gaps between objective and subjective measures of PA. TRIAL REGISTRATION:This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN73786157, 26/10/2017, retrospectively registered).