Using Community–Academic Partnerships and a Comprehensive School-Based Program to Decrease Health Disparities in Activity in School-Aged Children

Abstract

Many underserved school-age children do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. While children ultimately depend on parents, they also look to schools for their access to developmentally appropriate physical activity. The present randomized controlled trial study utilized a community–academic partnered participatory research approach to evaluate the impact of a culturally sensitive, comprehensive, school-based, program, Kids N Fitness^©, on body mass index (BMI), and child physical activity behavior, including: daily physical activity, team sports participation, attending PE class, and TV viewing/computer game playing, among underserved children ages 8–12 (N = 251) in Los Angeles County. All measures were collected at baseline, 4 and 12 months post-intervention. Students who participated in the KNF program had significant decreases in BMI Z-score, TV viewing, and an increase in PE class attendance from baseline to the 12 month follow-up. Our study shows the value of utilizing community–academic partnerships and a culturally sensitive, multi-component, collaborative intervention.

KEYWORDS:

• body mass index
• child obesity
• health disparities
• participatory action research
• physical activity

Notes

Note.

^a BMI- Body Mass Index.

^b p-value by t test; p-value shows changes between baseline and post intervention.

^c PA = physical activity; On how many of the past 7 days did you exercise or take part in physical activity that made your heart beat fast and made you breathe hard for at least 60 minutes? (Source: CATCH SPAN)

^d During the past 12 months, on how many sports teams did you play? Sports teams include soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, swimming, gymnastics, cheerleading, wrestling, track, football, dance, tennis, and volleyball teams. (Source: CATCH SPAN)

^e Last week, on how many days did you go to physical education (PE) or gym classes? (Source: CATCH SPAN)

^f Yesterday, how many hours did you watch TV or video movies away from school? (Source: CATCH SPAN)

^g How many hours per day do you usually spend on the computer away from school? (Time on the computer includes time spent surfing the Internet and instant messaging.) (Source: CATCH SPAN)

Note.

^a BMI = body mass index.

^b PA = physical activity; On how many of the past 7 days did you exercise or take part in physical activity that made your heart beat fast and made you breathe hard for at least 60 minutes? (Source: CATCH SPAN)

^c During the past 12 months, on how many sports teams did you play? Sports teams include soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, swimming, gymnastics, cheerleading, wrestling, track, football, dance, tennis, and volleyball teams. (Source: CATCH SPAN)

^d Last week, on how many days did you go to physical education (PE) or gym classes? (Source: CATCH SPAN)

^e Yesterday, how many hours did you watch TV or video movies away from school? (Source: CATCH SPAN)

^f How many hours per day do you usually spend on the computer away from school? (Time on the computer includes time spent surfing the Internet and instant messaging.) (Source: CATCH SPAN)

^g p-value by test.