Social Mechanisms for Promoting Physical Activity in After School Programs for Underserved Middle School Youth

NCT03850821 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: Pro00037559R21HD077357
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 224
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The primary goal of the Connect feasibility trial was to develop and test the feasibility of a physical activity (PA) social-climate-based intervention within pre-existing after school programs (ASPs) that targets youth social goals (e.g., building friendships through PA) and social competencies (e.g., friendship-building skills) to increase the positive PA affect, cognitions, and moderate-to-vigorous (MV) PA of underserved (i.e., low income, minority status) middle school youth. The 8-week intervention was designed to improve several key social mechanisms within ASPs overlooked in previous interventions (e.g., developing friendship and connection to peers and staff through PA; group belonging, including positive peer PA norms and tangible support) that are key predictors of youth PA and included: 1) "Get to know you" sessions aimed at providing youth guided social opportunities to foster friendship-building skills, and to promote acceptance, cooperation, contribution, and friendship affiliation, and; 2) a novel socially-oriented physical activity curriculum tailored to meet the social goals and needs of program staff and participating youth. Comparison of ASPs receiving the 8-week "Connect" intervention (N=3 ASPs) with ASPs randomized to receive the general ASP curriculum (wait-list control condition; N=3 ASPs) will yield preliminary data on the effectiveness of social mediators for improving moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and preventing obesity among at-risk youth that can inform future intervention design and youth programming policy. Results of this proposed project will provide the basis for conducting a large scale efficacy trial. First, it is hypothesized that the Connect program will be documented to be feasible as shown by: 1) youth's greater perceived connectedness and PA affiliation goal orientation from baseline to post-intervention; 2). changes in targeted social climate components from baseline to post-intervention as measured by systematic observations, and; 3) adequate dose and fidelity of program implementation as indicated by weekly process evaluations. Second, it is hypothesized that youth in the social climate program (vs. comparison) demonstrate greater increases in positive PA affect, cognitions, and MVPA from baseline to post-intervention.

Conditions

Physical Activity; Obesity Prevention

Keywords

Physical Activity; Community-based Intervention; Social Motivational Theories; Behavioral Change; Social Mechanisms

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Greater increases (change) in MVPA (using 7-day omni-directional accelerometers) of youth receiving the Connect Social Mechanisms intervention compared to the typical ASP curriculum control.

  Objective assessments of PA will be obtained on youth with omni- directional accelerometers. Data will be recorded in 30-s epochs to best capture short bouts of vigorous activity and raw activity data will be converted into time spent in light PA (1.6-2.9 metabolic equivalents (METS); count cut points=100 and 1500 for youth) and moderate-to-vigorous (MV)PA (3-8.9 METS; counts ≥ 1500 for youth) based on activity count thresholds for youth identified by Puyau and colleagues. Youth and staff will wear the belts for one full week at baseline, and again at the 8 wk intervention endpoint.

  Baseline to 8 week endpoint

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Greater improvements (change) in the Social Mechanisms intervention ASPs compared to control ASPs in targeted social mechanisms within the ASP for promoting physical activity using a social climate observation tool.

  Baseline to 8 week endpoint

• Greater improvements (change) in targeted youth PA-based social motivational outcomes of youth receiving the Connect Social Mechanisms intervention compared to the Typical ASP control.

  Baseline to 2 weeks post-intervention

• Greater improvements (change) in targeted youth PA-based cognitive motivational outcomes of youth receiving the Connect Staff-based PA intervention compared to the Typical ASP curriculum control.

  Baseline to 2 weeks post-intervention

• Greater improvements (change) in targeted youth PA-based social motivational outcomes of youth receiving the Connect Social Mechanisms intervention compared to the Typical ASP curriculum control.

  Baseline to 2 weeks post-intervention

• Greater improvements (change) in youth-staff PA-based social connections for promoting physical activity among youth receiving the Connect Social Mechanisms intervention compared to the Typical ASP curriculum control.

  Baseline to 2 weeks post-intervention

Study Arms (2)

Connect Social Mechanisms Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The primary components of the intervention included: "Get-to-know-you" sessions aimed specifically at providing youth guided social opportunities to foster friendships, group belonging, and social skills, and novel socially-oriented 'PA sessions' infused within the daily time slot that ASPs' allocated towards recreation. Drawing from theoretical models of motivation, and the investigators' previous ASP studies, key essential elements were identified for facilitating improvements in targeted PA social mechanisms (i.e., friendships, group belonging, and staff connection) and included: 1) social-emotional goal-oriented support, 2) collaborative/cooperative play centered on friendship and informal fun; 3) equal treatment/access, and; 4) inclusive and engaging.

Behavioral: Connect Social Mechanisms Intervention

Typical ASP curriculum wait-list control

NO INTERVENTION

No intervention was implemented within the active wait-list control condition, which served as the typical ASP curriculum control/comparison. After completion of the 8-week intervention (12 weeks including baseline and post-intervention data collection), the control condition received the social mechanisms curriculum as a token of appreciation for participating in measurement.

Interventions

Connect Social Mechanisms Intervention BEHAVIORAL

The "Get-to-Know-You" small group sessions (30 minutes) were designed to increase friendship building skills and involved interactive student-led discussions and activities designed to foster the assets needed to build and support friendships, group cohesion, and staff connections through PA. The PA component of the program (60 minutes) was designed to promote a positive PA social experience and meet youth social affiliation goals. Available games to choose from were novel, inclusive, emphasized teamwork, and centered on social goals. Three different PA stations were offered each program day in which youth rotated. One day each week was designated as a "choice day", whereby youth activity preference ratings were used to determine which activities were offered that day.

Connect Social Mechanisms Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 9 Years - 16 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Must be currently enrolled in the after school program
• Have parental consent to participate
• Agree to study participation (assent)
• Be available for baseline and post-intervention measurement

You may not qualify if:

• Have a medical condition that would interfere with the prescribed physical activity intervention plan
• Have a developmental delay or are in treatment for a psychiatric disorder such that the intervention materials/measures will not be appropriate

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of South Carolina: lead
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): collaborator

Related Publications (2)

• Zarrett N, Wilson DK, Sweeney A, Bell B, Fairchild AJ, Pinto BM, Miller C, Thames T. An overview of the Connect through PLAY trial to increase physical activity in underserved adolescents. Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 Mar;114:106677. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.106677. Epub 2022 Jan 17.

  PMID: 35051662 DERIVED

• Zarrett N, Law LH, Wilson DK, Abraczinskas M, Taylor S, Cook BS, Roberts A. Connect through PLAY: a randomized-controlled trial in afterschool programs to increase adolescents' physical activity. J Behav Med. 2021 Jun;44(3):379-391. doi: 10.1007/s10865-021-00206-0. Epub 2021 Mar 7.

  PMID: 33677766 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Officials

• Nicole Zarrett, PhD

  University of South Carolina

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor of Psychology

Model Details: A randomized study design will be implemented in which 6 ASPs are randomly assigned to either the Connect Social Mechanisms intervention condition or the active-wait list control condition (8-week intervention, with a 2 week post-intervention data collection).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 5, 2018
• First Posted: February 22, 2019
• Study Start: September 18, 2014
• Primary Completion: March 3, 2017
• Study Completion: March 3, 2017
• Last Updated: February 22, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-02