School based interventions for increasing physical activity during the school day: Lessons learned from suburban Cook County CPPW

Introduction: The Suburban Cook County Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative funded school districts to increase student physical activity (PA) through its “Model Communities” program. PA is important to maintain student health and is associated with academic achievement. Thus, increasing student PA could have significant impact on student health and academic achievement. SCC has chosen not to prescribe a particular intervention but rather has encouraged Model Communities to make changes that are appropriate to their context and sustainable in their districts. In this presentation we review the variety of PA interventions intended to increase student PA during the school day being implemented by SCC Model Communities. Methods: We conducted interviews with school personnel representing 10 SCC elementary schools funded under the Model Communities program. The interviews explored school day PA interventions in-depth, including timing, changes in plans, operation details, barriers and facilitators, staff and student reactions and sustainability. Qualitative methods using constant comparative techniques are used to analyze data. Results: Interviews were conducted in winter 2012. Preliminary themes identified include: the necessity of having a “change champion”, need for clear communication between the districts and schools, space, time and scheduling constraints. Discussion: These data add to practical understanding of scope and reach of school day PA interventions and identification of necessary resources to accomplish and sustain PA interventions in a variety of school contexts.