Healthy Living Guidelines for Out-of-School Time

Introduction: Nearly 41% of Philadelphia children are at risk for obesity . Out-of-School Time (OST) programs play an important role in promoting nutrition and physical activity for youth, yet food/beverages offered and type/duration of physical activity vary significantly across programs. The Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Partnership Initiative (HKHC) developed, implemented and tested Healthy Living Guidelines (HLG) in Philadelphia OST programs. Methods: The HLG were created collaboratively with HKHC staff and a Leadership Team representing key youth development stakeholders representing public, private and nonprofit organizations. Guidelines reflect national standards for best practices and include safety and equal access. They were piloted in nine OST programs to identify facilitators and barriers for successful implementation. HKHC staff provided a range of technical assistance to pilot sites, including a comprehensive HLG Toolkit, training workshops, and site visits aimed at providing targeted assistance around implementation. Results: The pilot evaluation revealed that the HLG were relatively easy to implement. Few sites noted that adequate program time, a need to comply with program mission, and requirements of varied funders created barriers for successful implementation. Most site directors, parents/guardians and youth commended increases in physical activity; however, issues of scheduling, time constraints and safety existed for programs. Successful strategies included prohibiting outside food and regularly scheduling physical activity. Next steps include development of an implementation plan for approximately 200 OST programs in Philadelphia. Discussion: Successful implementation of HLG depends on clear goals and strong communication between partners. Measurement for successful implementation includes strong technical assistance and site monitoring.