Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures Saturday Open Gym Physical Activity Promotion: Pilot Study

There is a very limited availability of age-appropriate, family-oriented, community-based, affordable physical activity (PA) promotion programs for preschool age children. Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures Saturday Open Gym (OG) is a community-based PA initiative created for families with 3-8 year old children. The program uses a curriculum adapted from SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) and I am Moving, I am Learning. It is offered free of charge and is facilitated by university student activity leaders (SAL). We hypothesized that OG participation would result in: a) high levels of children's participation in vigorous PA during OG; b) high levels of caregiver participation in OG; and c) high levels of SAL involvement during the majority of OG. Structured observations across nearly 1100 intervals were carried out during 7 OG sessions. A modified SOFIT systematic direct observation tool was used to assess child, caregiver and SAL behaviors. An average of 20 families attended each OG session. Ten families and 17 SAL participated in this study. Observations showed that children engaged in standing, walking or vigorous physical activities during 85% of OG intervals observed. By contrast, caregivers engaged in standing, walking or vigorous physical activities during only 50% of the intervals. SAL engaged in instructing, demonstrating and promoting fitness during 64% of OG intervals observed. This presentation will discuss ideas to increase caregiver PA levels during OG. The Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures Saturday Open Gym program is a promising model to promote and support an active lifestyle for families of young children.