Rationale and development of the Move More North Carolina: Recommended Standards for After-School Physical Activity

J Public Health Manag Pract. 2010 Jul-Aug;16(4):359-66. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0b013e3181ca2634.

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the rationale and procedure employed in developing the Move More North Carolina: Recommended Standards for After-School Physical Activity, which was publicly released statewide in April 2009. The Standards outline evidenced-based best practices for after-school programs to implement in order to increase amount and quality of physical activity (PA) among program participants. The Standards can be applied in any after-school program and were developed to benefit the approximately 152,000 school-aged children who are served by NC after-school programs each year. These programs often serve children at high risk for physical inactivity, including children from racial/ethnic minorities, impoverished areas, with disabilities, and/or living in neighborhoods with limited PA opportunities. The rationale for developing standards for PA in after-school programs is threefold: (1) such programs can provide enjoyable, safe, and age-appropriate PA; (2) they can facilitate family involvement, community partnership, and increase access to PA resources; and (3) they serve children at risk for inactivity. Recommended best practices are included for the following categories: time/intensity, qualified staff/training, curriculum, program size, facilities, equipment, and evaluation. Methods used to inform The Standards included a planning team, on-line surveys, focus groups, a systematic literature review, a consensus panel, and external expert review. The impact of The Standards is yet to be seen, but the collaborative process used in their creation can serve as a model for the development of similar PA standards in other states.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Consensus Development Conferences as Topic
  • Data Collection
  • Evidence-Based Practice
  • Exercise*
  • Focus Groups
  • Health Promotion / methods*
  • Humans
  • North Carolina
  • Physical Education and Training
  • Policy Making*
  • Program Development
  • Schools*