Participation In After-school Activities Research Articles

Neighborhood Condition Effects on Latina/O Student Attendance and Participation in Afterschool Activities

ABSTRACT This study examined how parents’ perception of neighborhood conditions are associated with school absenteeism and participation in afterschool activities, and how social support networks moderate those linkages among two-parent and single-parent families. Data from the second and third Waves of the Making Connections Survey were analyzed. A subsample of 1,053 Latina/o parents with 10–17-year-old children was examined. Longitudinal path analyses suggest an indirect positive association between neighborhood control and participation in organized afterschool activities via instrumental social support, but only among two-parent families. Neighborhood cohesion was associated with school days missed and participation in organized afterschool activities among single-parent families. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.

Changing school start times: Impact on extracurricular activities and employment

Sufficient sleep duration is associated with student health and wellbeing, but early secondary school start times limit students' sleep opportunity. Despite recommendations that all middle and high schools adopt a healthy school start time policy, one barrier to policy implementation is concerns about the impact on student participation in activities and employment. This study examined student extracurricular activity participation and employment before and after the implementation of healthy secondary school start times. Approximately 24,000 students/year (grades 3–11) completed three annual surveys (pre-change, post-change, follow-up) measuring sleep-wake patterns, extracurricular activity participation, and employment. Following the implementation of an earlier school start time, before-school activity participation decreased for elementary school students, but after-school participation was similar across years. Following the implementation of later school start times, there was a small decrease in after-school activity participation for middle and high school students (~3–4%). Equally important, middle and high school students reported significantly increased sleep duration with later start times, regardless of participation in before- or after-school activities and employment. Study findings support the recommendation for healthy school start time policies.

Tobacco Smoke Exposure, School Engagement, School Success, and Afterschool Activity Participation Among US Children.

Tobacco smoke exposure (TSE), defined as secondhand smoke (SHS) and thirdhand smoke (THS), is associated with negative health consequences. This study's objective was to assess the associations between home TSE status and school engagement, school success, and afterschool activity participation among school-aged children. We conducted a secondary analysis of 2018-2019 National Survey of Children's Health cross-sectional data. Children ages 6-11 years (N = 17,466) were categorized into home TSE groups: no home TSE; THS exposure only; and SHS and THS exposure. Weighted logistic and Poisson regression models were built. Compared to children with no home TSE, children with home THS exposure only and SHS and THS exposure were at decreased odds of being engaged in school (AOR = 0.69, 95%CI = 0.57, 0.83; AOR = 0.63, 95%CI = 0.41, 0.97, respectively), and at increased odds of having ≥1 school-to-home contact about child problems in school (AOR = 1.83, 95%CI = 1.50, 2.23; AOR = 1.58, 95%CI = 1.05, 2.37, respectively). Children with THS exposure only were at increased odds of missing ≥1 school day (AOR = 1.43, 95%CI = 1.13, 1.81). Children with THS exposure only (ARR = 0.90, 95%CI = 0.83, 0.96) and SHS and THS exposure (ARR = 0.74, 95%CI = 0.61, 0.89) were at reduced likelihood of participating in a higher number of afterschool activities. Children exposed to home tobacco smoke are at unique risk for poorer school engagement and success.

An examination of caregiver incarceration, positive childhood experiences, and school success

Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) foster healthy child development. Yet little is known about the degree to which children of incarcerated parents are exposed to positive childhood experiences (PCEs), such as participation in after-school activities, volunteering in the community, and residing in a safe and supportive neighborhood. We analyzed 2017–2018 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health to examine the relationship between caregiver incarceration and two academic outcomes, repeating a grade and school absenteeism, controlling for child and caregiver characteristics, and to examine the relationship between caregiver incarceration and PCEs, controlling for child and caregiver characteristics. Children exposed to household incarceration had higher odds of repeating a grade than children not exposed to household incarceration (aOR 1.62; 95% CI 1.23–2.13). Children with exposure to household incarceration had lower odds of residing in a supportive neighborhood than children without exposure to household incarceration (aOR 0.77; 95% CI 0.64–0.93). Findings from this study can be used by policymakers and program developers in the development and implementation of programs for children with incarcerated parents.

Positive Childhood Experiences Promote School Success

Educational attainment has been demonstrated as a protective factor for the physical and mental health of children into adulthood, yet there has been limited research on the association between positive childhood experiences (PCEs) and school success. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between PCEs and challenges to school success. This cross-sectional study used data of 33,450 children from the 2017-2018 National Survey of Children's Health to examine PCEs and two challenges to school success (school absenteeism and repeated grades), using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The most prevalent types of PCEs were mentor for advice or guidance (89.8%), family resilience (81.1%), and after-school activity participation (79.8%). Children who participated in after-school activities had lower odds of reported school absenteeism (aOR 0.59; 95% CI 0.46-0.76) and repeating a grade (aOR 0.75; 95% CI 0.59-0.97) than their counterparts. Children who shared ideas with their caregiver had lower odds of repeating a grade (aOR 0.78; 95% CI 0.63-0.97) than children who did not share ideas with their caregiver. Children who lived in a supportive neighborhood were less likely to have reported school absenteeism than children who did not live in a supportive neighborhood (aOR 0.77; 95% CI 0.60-0.98). Participation in after-school activities had optimal associations with both school absenteeism and repeated grade, suggesting its potential protective effect for school success. Promoting PCEs at the school, family, and community levels may help address school absenteeism and grade retention.

Associations Between Participation in After-School Activities, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Severity, and School Functioning.

To examine the association between after-school activity (ASA) participation, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) severity, and school functioning among children with ADHD. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health on ADHD severity, ASAs and 2 domains of school functioning among children with ADHD: missed days from school and calls home from school. Of 4,049 children with ADHD (weighted N = 5,010,662), 71.8% participated in at least 1 ASA. In multivariable regression analyses, ASA participation was associated with lower odds of moderate-to-severe ADHD [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.62, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.46-0.85] and lower odds of missed school days (aOR 0.55, 95% CI, 0.41-0.74). We did not find significant associations with calls home from school (aOR 0.79, 95% CI, 0.59-1.07). After-school activity participation is associated with decreased ADHD severity and reduced school absenteeism. Efforts to optimize ADHD outcomes should consider engaging children and adolescents in ASAs.

The role of public transit in school choice and after-school activity participation among Toronto high school students

Transportation plays a growing role in the ability of students to access educational opportunities as communities continue to sprawl and school systems diversify students’ school attendance options. This study models the impacts of household transportation resources on two education related outcomes: after-school activity participation and attendance at a non-local high school. We model after-school activity participation across the Greater Toronto Area through probit regression, identifying a significant effect of public transit accessibility on a high school student’s likelihood of participating in an after-school activity. We conduct a similar analysis predicting the likelihood that a student attends a non-local high school in the City of Toronto, wherein over 60% of students attend one of several alternatives to local designated high schools. Finally, we conduct a biprobit Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) on both variables to account for unobserved student and household characteristics that influence both outcomes. Our results highlight a significantly positive association between transit accessibility and students’ participation in after-school activities. We identify a weakly significant association between transit accessibility and attending non-local schools. We contend that while transportation resources may not be the most significant factors influencing these outcomes, transportation plays a significant enough role in students’ lives to warrant thoughtful attention by policymakers.

Impact of information about health and academic benefits on parent perception of the feasibility of active transportation to school

The percentage of students walking or biking to school in the United States has fallen drastically over the past decades. This decline has important implications for children’s health, as walking and biking to school result in health benefits, including more physical activity and lower risk of obesity. Influencing parents to consider active transportation to school (ATS) is a necessary step in behavior change. Our research examines the impact of providing parents with information about the health and academic benefits of ATS on parent perception of ATS feasibility. Parents given information about ATS benefits were hypothesized to perceive ATS as more feasible, as measured by responding that there is an additional morning or afternoon during the week when their child could walk or bike to or from school. Treatment and control surveys were distributed to parents with children attending elementary school in Alameda County and Richmond, California. Discrete choice models developed from this data indicated that information about ATS benefits did not have a significant effect on parent perception of ATS feasibility. The two models provided further insight into ATS behavior and parent perception of ATS feasibility. Greater walk time to school, higher parent education levels, lack of sidewalks along the route to school, and child participation in after-school activities located outside the school campus decreased perception of ATS feasibility. Walk time to school, vehicle ownership, and lack of sidewalks decreased ATS behavior, while having an adult in the home with flexible work hours increased it. Minorities were less likely to participate in ATS every day. Based on these results, providing more after-school activities on school grounds, constructing sidewalks along routes to school, and locating schools in dense, mixed-use areas are supported as strategies to increase ATS behavior.

Quality of life among working and non-working adolescents.

This study investigated the association between work, work intensity, and quality of life (QOL) among adolescents in Washington State. Data from the 2010 Washington Healthy Youth Survey of public school students in 8, 10, and 12th grades were analyzed. Students were categorized as working or not working. Work intensity was classified by self-reported number of hours worked per week. Respondent QOL was measured using the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Healthy Youth Survey Version (YQOL-HYS). Linear regression models evaluated the association between employment variables and scores on the YQOL-HYS. In total, 27, 26, and 47% of students in grades 8, 10, and 12 reported currently working, respectively. For 8th and 10th graders, working was significantly associated with lower QOL scores compared to non-working students. Across all grades, increased work intensity was associated with significantly lower QOL. Participation in after-school activities demonstrated a protective effect. While work is often a positive experience for adolescents, among younger teens and those who work many hours, employment during the school year may have a deleterious impact on QOL. Further research is necessary to better understand whether employment, particularly in early adolescence, may have negative ramifications on QOL among young workers.

Adolescent girls' connectivity in an occupational efficacy workshop: Understanding avoidance

Synopsis Skeggs' notion of ‘emotional politics’ cites a dynamic in girls' worlds that is applicable to Joseph's theory of connectivity vis-a-vis girls' participation in after-school activities. Here, we deploy this theoretical connection to examine under what conditions avoidance characterizes Israeli at-risk urban girls' responses to a workshop targeting and promoting their occupational efficacy. Analyzing 11 ‘avoiding’ girls out of 34 participants, we found that when participants experienced the workshop content as contradicting their family experiences, they used positive feelings of family belonging, or connectivity, as a resource in facing the workshop's demands. To reduce the sense of conflict between familial expectations and the occupational efficacy workshop, and hence minimize avoidance, we concluded that future projects of this type should offer material resources and mentors that would help girls negotiate the workshop's content at home.

Factors Associated with High School Students' Delayed Acquisition of a Driver's License

In recent years the number of teenagers and young adults acquiring a driver's license has declined in many developed countries worldwide, with long-term implications for transportation planning. However, the reasons for this decline are only partially understood. Some research has focused on surveys of young drivers without licenses, but few studies have looked at the characteristics and attitudes of youth of driving age as a whole. Other studies have focused on young adults but not teenagers. This study addressed these gaps by examining the results of a survey of students at three high schools in Northern California. These results indicated that demographic factors such as race–ethnicity and parental education level, which was used as a proxy for socioeconomic status, were correlated with licensing and the age at which a license was obtained. Smartphone use, frequency of participation in after-school activities, and bicycle ownership also corresponded positively with increased licensing rates, while actual bicycle use, enjoyment of riding the bus, and ability to rely on parents for transportation corresponded with decreased licensing rates. Use of electronic communications in general was not found to correspond highly with licensing rates, and environmental concern had no significant relationship. These results suggest the need for further research to separate economic factors from other possible factors influencing licensing rates of high school students.

Prevalence and Psychosocial Correlates of After-School Activities among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong.

Using a cross-sectional design, this study (a) explores the prevalence of after-school activities among Chinese early adolescents and (b) assesses the relationships between participation in after-school activities, personal well-being, and family functioning. A total of 3,328 Grade 7 students (mean age = 12.59 years, SD = 0.74) completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results showed that the majority of adolescents returned home under adult supervision. Further analyses showed the associations between after-school activities, positive youth development qualities, academic and school competence, family functioning, and risky behavior. Implications regarding efforts aimed at designing high quality and structured after-school youth programs are discussed.

Cultivating the Difference: Social Class, Parental Values, Cultural Capital and Children’s After-School Activities in Taiwan

Inspired by Melvin Kohn and Annette Lareau’s works, this paper aims to uncover the mechanisms of social reproduction practiced via after-school activities. The world’s lowest fertility rate, patriarchal family system, and burgeoning cram institutes make Taiwan a solid case to explore. Drawing on data from the Youth Project from 2000 and 2001 (N=2,126), we examine, step-by-step, the associations between parents’ social class, parents’ child-rearing values, and children’s after-school activity participation. By comparing maternal and paternal models, this paper demonstrates how Taiwanese parents carefully arranged the fabric of after-school time as an Asian version of concerted cultivation, and illustrates how cultural capital in Taiwan is practiced in the local context of parenting. Separate models on seven activities, including music, calligraphy, arts, dance, computer, sports and chess lessons, are investigated as well. By identifying the dynamic embedded within after-school activities, this paper contributes a fundamental understanding of after-school learning, a popular form of childhood socialization in East Asia.

A Coach for All

Numerous studies have shown the high level of influence interscholastic coaches’ yield at their respective campuses (Côté & Fraser-Thomas, 2007; Fredericks & Eccles, 2006; Greendorfer, 2002). This influence is not confined to athletes only, but extends to a large portion of the general student body as well. Coaches, especially interscholastic coaches, can become centers of influence (COI) for physical fitness and physical activity participation throughout the entire student body. This often unsolicited influence can have dramatic effects on how non-participants view initiatives and opportunities encouraged by “their” coach. For example, coaches can personally recruit new athletes, provide mentoring, and/or encourage participation in after-school activities.

Young Australians and Social Inclusion

In this paper we look at the relationships between parental and family characteristics, including a history of dependence on income support, on a diverse set of indicators of social inclusion among young Australians. The data contain a large group of young people who might be considered at great risk of social exclusion — young people who grew up in families with extensive experience of living on government-provided income support. We compare a set of social inclusion measures for this group with those for young people from less disadvantaged backgrounds, to gauge how the at-risk group was faring. The employment, education participation and family and community‑connectedness measures were all poorer in the at-risk group than the less disadvantaged group. For composite measures of the social inclusion indicators, these differences were partially explained by the relative socioeconomic status of the parents, the characteristics of the family structure, parental decisions to invest in their children and attitudinal variables. However, after controlling for all of these factors, the effect of exposure to income support was not completely eliminated, though the inclusion of schooling experience indicators, such as the incidence of suspensions and expulsions, school attendance patterns and participation in after-school activities, substantially reduced the lasting effect of prolonged income support exposure when growing up.

Predictors of late adolescent delinquency: The protective role of after-school activities in low-income families

Research suggests an important link between maternal welfare and employment, lack of after-school care, and a child's propensity to engage in increased levels of delinquency. Indeed, with welfare reform, many disadvantaged families, typically single-mother households, face increased pressures to move off of welfare and into employment or risk losing their benefits, which decreases the mother's ability to provide adequate after-school care and supervision. Using longitudinal data from Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study, this study assessed how changes in maternal welfare and employment status, as well as participation in after-school activities influence rates of adolescents' delinquency 4 years later. Results show that early and increased participation in after-school activities served as a protective factor against late adolescent delinquency during a mother's transition off of welfare. Youth who increased their after-school activity participation from early to late adolescence had lower rates of delinquency at wave 3. Policy implications are discussed.

Relationship of medical home quality with school engagement and after-school participation among children with asthma

Objectives: To examine the relationship between medical home quality and measures of daily life experiences among children with asthma. Methods: A nationally representative sample of children from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), aged 6–17 years (n = 6357), who have asthma was used to assess the relationship of a quality medical home and its features with their daily life experiences. Five medical home features – access, continuity, comprehensiveness, family-centered care, and coordination of care – were examined individually and in total in relation to measures of school engagement (missed school days, parents contacted about problems with the child, repeating a grade since kindergarten) and after-school activity participation (physical activity, sports participation, and community service or volunteer work). Results: Before and after adjustment for personal characteristics, health insurance status, family environment, neighborhood variables, and asthma severity, total medical home score was associated with more days exercised [beta (B) = 0.10, p < .05] and a greater likelihood of having performed community service or volunteer work [odds ratio (OR) = 1.16, CI: 1.02–1.31]. Additionally, the medical home features of access, comprehensiveness, and family-centered care remained favorably associated with three of the six measures of school engagement and after-school activity participation, even after adjustment. Conclusion: Medical home quality – particularly the features of access, comprehensiveness, and family-centered care – is positively associated with the daily life experiences of children with asthma. Working to enhance these aspects of primary care might be one place to start in improving the management of children's chronic conditions and their quality of life.

Childhood Participation in After-School Activities: What is to be Expected?

Participation is recognised as a key to health and wellbeing and is considered to be a vital part of the development of children and youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the participation patterns of children and adolescents in their time outside formal school. More specifically, the influence of age and gender on after-school participation patterns was explored. Method: Three hundred and thirty-two children and adolescents (5 to 18 years old) were divided into five age groups and completed the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE). To test the interaction effect of gender and age on participation measures, ANOVAs were conducted. Results: The results indicated differences with moderate to high effect size in participation patterns across age, where a decline in participation was detected as children made the transition to adolescence. Differences with negligible effect size in participation were found between boys and girls in some of the activity types. No interaction effect between age and gender was observed. Conclusion: Participation patterns change with age, particularly as children make the transition to adolescence; however, this change does not depend on gender. Intervention strategies might take into account these inherent changes. Future studies might consider additional factors (for example, environment) while examining participation throughout age.

Factors Affecting the Algebra I Achievement of Academically Talented Learners

Understanding student performance in Algebra I is important because this course serves as the gateway to advanced coursework in mathematics and science through the remainder of high school and into post-secondary education. In the current study, we analyzed secondary data to evaluate the relationship between selected indicators of mathematics and the Algebra I performance of academically able and gifted learners who participated in above-level talent search testing. We used structural equation modeling to examine the relationship among selected variables and students' scores on a standardized measure of Algebra I achievement. Variables included prior mathematics ability, parental education level, whether a student was identified as gifted, participation in afterschool activities, the time spent on homework, and the amount of class time spent on discussions and lectures. Results indicate the strongest relationships were between mathematics reasoning and Algebra I achievement. Although gifted status was a strong predictor of mathematics reasoning, it was not strongly related to Algebra achievement, which supports the need for differentiated instruction for gifted learners. The amount of class time spent on discussion had a significant effect on the amount of time spent weekly on Algebra I homework. Rather than reliance on traditional lecture-based instruction, teachers should consider incorporating more classroom discussion on mathematical topics.

The Physical Fitness of Pediatric Kidney and Liver Transplant Recipients

PURPOSE: A cross-sectional study was performed to assess laboratory and field test measures of physical fitness after kidney (KTX, 3.4 ± 4.1 yrs post) or liver transplantation (LTX, 10.9 ± 4.4 yrs post) during childhood. METHODS: Laboratory testing included assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF, VO2peak), quadricep muscle strength (peak torque), and body composition (%fat). Field testing was adopted from the FITNESSGRAM® and included the PACER, curl-up and sit and reach tests. Values obtained from field testing were compared to sex and age-based criterion-referenced standards (Healthy Fitness Zone, HFZ). The Previous Day Physical Activity Recall (PDPAR) was used to assess after-school activity participation. Independent t-tests were used to determine the differences between the KTX and LTX recipients with p-values <0.05 indicating statistical significance. KTX and LTX recipient data was compared to FITNESSGRAM® criterion-referenced standards by calculating the percent of KTX and LTX children that attained values within the HFZ. RESULTS: Twenty-five KTX (16 boys, 9 girls; age 15.7 ± 2.3 yrs) and 11 LTX (5 boys, 6 girls; age 14.5 ± 2.6 yrs) recipients completed all assessments. No differences were detected between the KTX and LTX groups in any of the laboratory or field physical fitness testing. However, both groups demonstrated below normative age and sex values for VO2peak (KTX 30.1 ± 8.9; LTX 33.4 ± 8.2 ml/kg/min) and peak torque (KTX 73.8 ± 26.8; LTX 67.5 ± 20.1 Nm). Only 4% of the KTX and 9% of the LTX recipients achieved the HFZ for the PACER and 24% of the KTX and 45% LTX attained the HFZ for the curl-up test. Twenty percent of the KTX group and 45% of the LTX group had percent body fat values greater than the upper criterion value of the HFZ. Both the KTX and LTX recipients reported spending less than 10% of their after-school time participating in physical activity, 35% performing self-care tasks and greater than 55% physically inactive. CONCLUSION: Pediatric solid organ transplant recipients may be at increased risk for cardiovascular problems and loss of bone density. These risks may be due to the immunosuppressive therapy. However, the present findings of significantly reduced exercise capacity and physical activity in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients warrants counseling and encouragement for increased physical activity. A randomized clinical trial of diet and exercise intervention after pediatric transplantation is warranted to determine the impact of such lifestyle interventions on improving physical fitness and cardiovascular health.