Adolescent After School Program Participation and Physical Fitness Rebecca A. London and Oded Gurantz, John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities, Stanford University Biennial Meetings of the Society for Research on Adolescence, March 13, 2010

In , 16% of U.S. children ages 2 to 19 had body mass index (BMI) high enough to classify them as obese Obesity rate for Mexican-American boys and girls approximately five percentage points higher than Non- Hispanic Whites (Ogden, Carroll, & Flegal, 2008) Childhood obesity is associated with a host of negative health outcomes, including Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol Background

To what extent are students in grades five through nine participating in after school programming? What are the effects of participation on youth’s physical fitness outcomes? Research Questions

After school participation has a direct link to improved fitness through increased activity and decreased time engaged in sedentary activities Possible indirect link as high-quality after school programs have the potential to improve self- confidence, motivation, and emotional regulation Literature

Physical Fitness Test (PFT) data – 5 th, 7 th, 9 th grade Students passing 5 of 6 tests are considered fit After school participation: (1) administrative data from four large service providers and (2) survey of all middle school students Youth Data Archive School Data Not Fit Fit 5 th Grade Not Fit Fit 7 th Grade Middle School Survey Administrative Data After School Participation

Fitness Trajectories – 5 th to 7 th grade

Fitness Trajectories – 7 th to 9 th grade

Percent of Students Participating in After School Programs NPhysical Activity Program Other Program No Program Administrative Data: 5 th to 7 th Grade Cohort 1, Administrative Data: 7 th to 9 th Grade Cohort 1, Survey Data: 5 th to 7 th Grade Cohort

Determinants of Physical Activity After School Program Participation Administrative DataSurvey Data Physically Fit0.175**0.496*** Female ** Parent Ed Less than HS-0.191* Parent Ed College Free/Reduced Price Lunch-0.401*** Latino and not EL Latino and EL-0.268* N8,6841,165 *** p<=0.01, ** p<=0.05, * p<=0.10 Regressions include controls for standardized test scores, school attendance, special education status, and interactions between grade and gender

Determinants of Other After School Program Participation Administrative DataSurvey Data Physically Fit0.145** Female *** Parent Ed Less than HS Parent Ed College0.261***0.014 Free/Reduced Price Lunch * Latino and not EL-0.281***0.139 Latino and EL-0.285**0.104 N8,6841,165 *** p<=0.01, ** p<=0.05, * p<=0.10 Regressions include controls for standardized test scores, school attendance, special education status, and interactions between grade and gender

Effects of After School Program Participation on Physical Fitness Administrative DataSurvey Data Participation in Physical Activity Program * Participation in Other Program Female ** Parent Ed Less than HS Parent Ed College0.543***0.606*** Free/Reduced Price Lunch *** Latino and not EL Latino and EL-0.470**-0.432** N2, *** p<=0.01, ** p<=0.05, * p<=0.10 Regressions controls for initial physical fitness, standardized test scores in baseline year, student attendance between the first and second fitness test, special education status, and interactions between grade and gender

Effects of After School Program Participation – Female Participation Administrative Data (5 th to 7 th grade cohort only) Survey Data Participation in Physical Activity Program Participation in Other Program Female Physical Activity Program * Female Other Program * Female0.525*0.973* N1, *** p<=0.01, ** p<=0.05, * p<=0.10

Between one-fourth and two-thirds of all students do not participate in any after school programs Female students and students who are unfit are less likely to participate in physical activity programs Socio-economic status plays a role in after school participation Students who participate in physical activity programs may have slight improvements in overall fitness, but more investigation is needed Conclusion

Incorporate data from additional after school providers and student surveys Present initial findings to community partners Focus on school and neighborhood participation Commitment from leaders at participating agencies, including California School Board Association, to using the information generated to improve the health of the Latino children they serve Next Steps