This study estimated the frequency and quality of fruit and vegetables offered during snack in U.S. afterschool programs and examined program-level factors associated with offering them, including awareness and use of the National AfterSchool Association Healthy Eating and Physical Activity standards. Data was collected from 684 National AfterSchool Association members and their colleagues through an More
In 2014, California became the first state to authorize an out-of-school-time (OST) health promotion program. The Distinguished After School Health (DASH) program awards a 2-year certificate to OST programs that implement its nutrition and physical activity standards. RTI is partnering with the California Department of Education (CDE) and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to More
Out-of-School time (OST) programs are a promising setting for reducing child obesity risk by promoting healthy eating and providing opportunities for physical activity. The Healthy Out-of-School Time Coalition developed the National AfterSchool Association Healthy Eating and Physical Activity standards in 2011 to provide comprehensive guidance on how to promote healthy eating and physical activity. To More
The purpose of this project is to examine the use of state policy approaches to promote the implementation of the National AfterSchool Association Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (NAA HEPA) standards. The research team will build a conceptual framework, elicit expert opinion on state policy approaches, analyze real-world experiences using case studies in two states, More
This project builds upon previous work conducted to develop, disseminate, and promote adoption and implementation of the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards in out-of-school-time programs (OST). The HEPA standards have been adopted by several major national service organizations that represent thousands of OST sites, but no periodic, cross-organization effort More
This paper describes the development of voluntary healthy eating and physical activity quality standards (HEPAQS) for out-of-school time programs. The final HEPAQS were developed using a national, mixed-methods needs assessment, review of existing standards and expert recommendations, and a participatory process of discussion, review, and consensus engaging 19 service and policy organizations and agencies in More
This paper discusses the results of a qualitative study which explored childhood obesity and healthy eating concepts among out-of-school time program administrators. Researchers found that while program administrators were concerned about childhood obesity, they identified four main barriers to serving healthy foods: food procurement, budget, staff issues, and facilities. They also found that while having More
In the US, 6.5 million children attend out-of-school time (OST) programs annually, participating in roughly three hours per day of activities typically including homework, snack and gross motor play. The specific aims of this study are to: (1) build capacity for obesity prevention in OST by infusing rigorous science-based guidelines into the National Afterschool Association More
This article finds that mobile food vendors contribute to after-school snacking among children, and should be considered part of the school food environment. Based on data collected in Oakland, CA in the spring of 2008, researchers found a wide variety of vendors near schools. They include vendors who sell low-nutrient, calorie-dense items, such as ice More
This study will examine the food environments among YMCA after-school programs that primarily serve African-American children on Chicago’s South side, as well as factors impacting the implementation of such after-school programs and snack offerings within these programs. Specifically, the aims of this work are to use qualitative and quantitative methods to: (a) identify the potential More
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