Kids on the Move Evaluation Report

Programme Summary:

Launched in 1999 in the United States, Kids on the Move (KOTM) is an after-school activity and healthy lifestyles programme developed and piloted by the Community Health Development and Advocacy at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. KOTM aims to reduce cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity and decreased opportunities for physical activity in high-risk children ages 8 to 12 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The programme is delivered in an 8-week session, with 1-hour meetings 3 days per week. Each session includes a "warm-up", "cool-down", and 25 minutes of structured active play. During the warm-up and cool-down, youth receive health information related to decreasing risk factors for heart disease. Healthy food choices, avoidance of tobacco use, and the importance of daily physical activity are among the topics. The programme was been offered at 17 public elementary schools between 1999 and 2002, reaching 240 children during that period.

Evaluation Summary:

Purpose: To determine changes in participants' (musculoskeletal) flexibility and changes in their health-related behaviours.

Design: Pretest/posttest data were collected for 170 (90 females and 80 males) of the 242 programme's participants. In addition, 139 parent interviews were conducted by telephone at the end of the programme. Evaluators also used data from daily interactions with students, parents, and after-school personnel.

Methods: Included 1) analysis of attendance data to measure the programme's popularity with student participants, 2) observation, 3) an 8-item questionnaire for parents of participants, 4) use of the back-saver, sit-and-reach test to measure changes in children's flexibility.

Timeframe: Data were collected at the beginning and end of each 8-week session during all 3 years (1999-2000, 2000-2001, and 2001-2002).

Formative/Process Findings

• Activity Implementation
  
  • The evaluators found it problematic to start the programme delivery before the after-school snack, since participants became hungry during the programme and would not want to participate if no snacks were provided beforehand.
  • Many students reported enjoying activities more if the facilitator participated in activities with the kids.
  • Staff members who made participants "sit out" of the physical activity components of the programme for various reasons sent the wrong message and decreased enjoyment of active play.
  • Activities that included a variety of games and that did not stress competition were found to enhance participants' enjoyment of activities.
• Programme Context/Infrastructure: The evaluators found it necessary to have sufficient indoor space for physical activity in case of inclement weather.

Impact Findings

• Access: Of the 242 participants, 114 (47%) were female and 128 (53%) were male, 223 (92%) were African-American, 10 (4%) were Caucasian, and the remaining 9 participants were of other ethnic backgrounds. The participants in the programme completed 93% of the available sessions, as compared to typical attendance rates for other CHDA programmes of approximately 70-80%.
• Prevention: Participants' flexibility improved for both right leg (+2.79 points) and left leg (+2.76 points).
• Behaviour: Nearly half (49.3%) of the parents stated that their child was drinking more water since beginning the programme. Over half (51.7%) of them said they noticed an increase in their child's activity level since beginning the programme.

Source:

"A Profile of the Evaluation of the Kids on the Move Program", Out-of-School Time at the Harvard Family Research Project.