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 exists to monitor uptake and implementation of the standards. The goal of this project is to assess uptake and implementation of NAA healthy eating standards among NAA members. Investigators will modify an existing survey that assessed the uptake of the NAA physical activity standards in 2013 and 2014 to include questions about the healthy eating standards and best practices in OST programs. Data will be collected from a national sample of OST programs taken from the NAA membership database, and analyzed for associations among respondent characteristics and implementation scores for healthy eating best practices.
Monitoring the Uptake of National AfterSchool Association Healthy Eating Standards and Best Practices in Out-of-School-Time Programs
Start Date: March 2015
ID #: CAS019
Organization: RTI International
Project Lead: Jean Wiecha, PhD
State: National
Resource Type: Commissioned Research Project Summary
Age Groups: Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8), Adolescents (grades 9 to 12)
Race/Ethnicity: Multi-racial/ethnic
Focus Area: School & After School
Keywords: Nutrition standards, Snacks, Sugar-sweetened beverages
Related Research
May 2018
Survey of Afterschool Programs Suggests Most Offer Fruit and Vegetables Daily
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 … More
January 2015
Recommendations for Responsible Food Marketing to Children
The marketing of unhealthy foods to children and youth is a major public health concern. Children in the United States grow up surrounded by food and beverage marketing, which primarily promotes products with excessive amounts of added sugar, salt, and fat, and inadequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. … More
February 2019
How a Public Health Goal Became a National Law: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
CSPI developed a case study that provides insights into policy strategy and advocacy best practices that resulted in passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). The case study outlines key lessons to help inform nutrition and public health policy initiatives, as well as continued implementation and defense of … More