Social Mechanisms for Promoting Youth Physical Activity in Afterschool Programs

描述（由申请人提供）：缺乏身体活动已被确定为儿童肥胖和相关疾病的主要因素，服务不足的青年（少数民族和低收入状态）处于缺乏活动及其健康后果的最大风险。然而，身体活动（PA）干预措施已经实现了有限的或没有持续的行为改变，因此很少影响目标生理或人体测量健康结果。尽管大量的研究指出了社会影响和目标的重要性（例如，和朋友在一起）对PA动机和参与的影响，基于PA的干预几乎完全强调以与身体能力相关的结构为中心的方法（例如，自我效能（self-efficacy）到目前为止，很少有研究集中在理解社会目标的贡献， 方向和需要的连接，使促进持续的青年PA。我们认为，在青春期，当社会关系的方向是最强的，社会联系的愿望是一个主要的行动目标，支持青年PA行为，因此，一个关键的机制，以目标为持续的行为改变。因此，拟议中的研究将解决在以前的研究中的局限性，针对课外活动（ASP），以促进青年PA持续增长所需的社会机制。社会发展研究、成就目标理论和自我决定理论的应用为解决关键的社会机制提供了概念框架：1）友谊（以及基于PA的社会技能的发展）; 2）群体归属感（同伴联系）; 3）与ASP员工的联系。这项研究的主要组成部分包括“了解你”课程，旨在为青年提供指导性的社交机会，以培养建立友谊的技能， 促进接纳、合作和友谊关系，并在ASP自由游戏环节中注入新的社会导向PA课程。两个课后组织（N= 12 ASP），服务于主要是服务不足的青年人口已同意参加该计划。在第一年，工作人员和青年访谈，ASP网站的系统观察将进行开发课程，将在一个ASP（N=40青年）为期8周的试点测试。在第2年，将实施一项随机研究（3项干预和3项对照ASP），以测试干预方法的可行性（N=200名青年）。我们的干预措施的可行性应该表明，干预青年报告更大的感知连接性和从属目标取向对PA从基线到干预后。对ASP的观察将测试社会气候从干预前到干预后的变化，过程评价将评估剂量和保真度。假设：1）干预中的年轻人（与对照组相比）将表现出从基线到干预后的积极PA影响、认知和行为以及BMI的更大改善; 2）有针对性的社会机制将介导干预对PA结局变化的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Physical inactivity has been identified as a primary contributor of childhood obesity and related diseases, with underserved youth (minority and low-income status) at greatest risk of inactivity and its health consequences. However, physical activity (PA) interventions have attained limited-to-no sustained behavior change and thus, have rarely affected targeted physiological or anthropometric health outcomes. Despite substantial research noting the importance of social influences and goals (e.g., being with, and making friends) on PA motivation and participation, PA-based interventions have almost exclusively emphasized approaches centered on constructs related to physical ability (e.g., mastery, self-efficacy). To date, little research has focused on understanding the contributions that social goal orientations and need for connectedness make toward promoting sustained youth PA. We argue that during adolescence, when orientation towards social relationships is strongest, the desire for social connections is a primary goal of action underpinning youth PA behavior and thus, a key mechanism to target for sustained behavior change. Thus, the proposed study will address limitations in previous research by targeting the social mechanisms needed within afterschool programs (ASPs) to promote sustained increases in youth PA. Application of social development research, Achievement Goal Theory, and Self-Determination Theory provides the conceptual framework for addressing key social mechanisms: 1) Friendship (and the development of PA-based social skills); 2) Group Belonging (peer connection), and; 3) Connection with ASP Staff. Primary components of the study include "Get to know you" sessions aimed at providing youth guided social opportunities to foster friendship-building skills, and to promote acceptance, cooperation, and friendship affiliation, and infusing a novel socially-oriented PA curriculum within ASP free play sessions. Two afterschool organizations (N= 12 ASPs) that serve a primarily underserved population of youth have agreed to participate in the program. During year 1, staff and youth interviews, and systematic observations of ASP sites will be conducted to develop a curriculum that will be tested during an 8-week pilot in one ASP (N=40 youth). During year 2, a randomized study (3 intervention and 3 control ASPs) will be implemented to test the feasibility of the intervention approach (N=200 youth). Feasibility of our intervention should demonstrate that intervention youth report greater perceived connectedness and affiliation goal orientation toward PA from baseline to post-intervention. Observations of ASPs will test changes in the social climate from pre- to post-intervention and process evaluation will assess dose and fidelity. It is hypothesized that: 1) youth in the intervention (vs comparison) will demonstrate greater improvements in positive PA affect, cognitions, and behaviors, and BMI from baseline to post-intervention, and; 2) targeted social mechanisms will mediate the effects of the intervention on changes in PA outcomes.