Connect Through PLAY: A Staff-based Physical Activity Intervention for Middle School Youth

Summary

The overall goal of the Connect Through Positive Leisure Activities for Youth (PLAY) Project is to improve staff capacity for implementing effective physical activity (PA) programming within middle school after school programs serving high-risk youth. All components of the 'Connect' intervention (health promotion initiative, comprehensive training, and tailored physical activity curriculum) aim to support staff cohesion, motivation and efficacy in facilitating a PA context that supports youth social goals and meaningful connections. To this end, the investigators will be implementing a 5-year randomized controlled trial with 30 ASPs. Compared to control programs, after school programs receiving the 'Connect' program are expected to show greater improvements from baseline to post- and 6 mo follow-up in social mechanisms, youth PA, and staff PA. The Connect through PLAY project will provide important insights into what supports are needed (and efficacious) for after school program staff to create a positive social climate to promote increases in youth motivation and participation in physical activity.

Conditions

• Physical Activity
• Obesity Prevention

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Connect Staff-based PA intervention

After school program sites receiving the Connect intervention will receive a 16 week program that includes three related components - a staff health promotion initiative that helps staff pursue personally-tailored health goals and involves weekly 'check-ins', a tailored social PA curriculum to implement within the program's enrichment hour at least 3 times per week, and a comprehensive staff training program that provides strategies and tools for improving social connections within the program and guided support for implementing the social PA curriculum. Compared to control ASPs, ASPs receiving the 'Connect' program are expected to show greater improvements from baseline to post- and 6 mo follow-up in PA-related social mechanisms, youth PA, and staff PA.

OTHER

Connect Health Curriculum Control

After school program sites receiving the general ASP health curriculum control will address the prevention of several negative health behaviors (e.g., substance use, stress, etc) and also involve three related components- a comprehensive health program curriculum that includes activities that are interactive and fun and where students will learn about a variety of health behaviors (nutrition, stress reduction, etc.) and life skills through group activities, a staff training program that provides strategies and tools for implementing program curriculum, and on-going support from the Connect staff. This arm will serve as the comparison group to the Connect Staff-based PA intervention

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

  collaborator NIH

• University of South Carolina

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Nicole Zarrett, PhD · University of South Carolina

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

9 Years

Max Age

16 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-01-03

Primary Completion

2023-05-31

Completion

2024-05-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations