Abstract
BackgroundNutrition and physical activity interventions have been effective in creating environmental changes in afterschool programs. However, accurate assessment can be time-consuming and expensive as initiatives are scaled up for optimal population impact. This study aims to determine the criterion validity of a simple, low-cost, practitioner-administered observational measure of afterschool physical activity, nutrition, and screen time practices and child behaviors.MethodsDirectors from 35 programs in three cities completed the Out-of-School Nutrition and Physical Activity Observational Practice Assessment Tool (OSNAP-OPAT) on five days. Trained observers recorded snacks served and obtained accelerometer data each day during the same week. Observations of physical activity participation and snack consumption were conducted on two days. Correlations were calculated to validate weekly average estimates from OSNAP-OPAT compared to criterion measures. Weekly criterion averages are based on 175 meals served, snack consumption of 528 children, and physical activity levels of 356 children.ResultsOSNAP-OPAT validly assessed serving water (r = 0.73), fruits and vegetables (r = 0.84), juice >4oz (r = 0.56), and grains (r = 0.60) at snack; sugary drinks (r = 0.70) and foods (r = 0.68) from outside the program; and children’s water consumption (r = 0.56) (all p <0.05). Reports of physical activity time offered were correlated with accelerometer estimates (minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity r = 0.59, p = 0.02; vigorous physical activity r = 0.63, p = 0.01). The reported proportion of children participating in moderate and vigorous physical activity was correlated with observations (r = 0.48, p = 0.03), as were reports of computer (r = 0.85) and TV/movie (r = 0.68) time compared to direct observations (both p < 0.01).ConclusionsOSNAP-OPAT can assist researchers and practitioners in validly assessing nutrition and physical activity environments and behaviors in afterschool settings.Trial registrationPhase 1 of this measure validation was conducted during a study registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT01396473.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-014-0145-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Public health researchers and practitioners have made the goals of increasing physical activity and improving healthy eating among youth a major national priority, recently through Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign [1]
We aim to determine if a simple, low-cost, program-level, observational measure completed by afterschool program staff can validly assess afterschool physical activity and nutrition practices and child behaviors
Data were collected in 20 Boston afterschool programs, 10 of which participated in the of-School Nutrition and Physical Activity (OSNAP) nutrition and physical activity intervention
Summary
Public health researchers and practitioners have made the goals of increasing physical activity and improving healthy eating among youth a major national priority, recently through Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign [1]. Some of the most impactful strategies for improving youth activity and diet aim to create changes in school and afterschool environments Interventions targeting these environments have been effective at increasing children’s physical activity and fitness [8,9,10,11,12], improving foods and beverages served and consumed by children [13,14,15], and decreasing obesity prevalence [13]. We aim to determine if a simple, low-cost, program-level, observational measure completed by afterschool program staff can validly assess afterschool physical activity and nutrition practices and child behaviors. This study aims to determine the criterion validity of a simple, low-cost, practitioner-administered observational measure of afterschool physical activity, nutrition, and screen time practices and child behaviors
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