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, Out-of-School Time, 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
April 2020
Prioritizing Health in State ESSA Plans and Report Cards to Support the Whole Child
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law on December 10, 2015, reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. ESSA created an opportunity to broaden accountability beyond traditional subjects, such as math, to potentially focus on health and wellness in schools. States could select health and … More
March 2020
Rapid Health Impact Assessment on USDA Proposed Changes to School Nutrition Standards
More than 21.8 million school-age children receive free or reduced-price school lunch and 12.6 million children receive free or reduced-price breakfast each day. Since updated nutrition standards for school meals, snack foods, and beverages have been implemented following passage of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a growing body of … More