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Dissemination of the OSNAP (Out-of-School Nutrition and Physical Activity) intervention: Evidence-based strategies, low-cost resources, and partnerships for success
Out-of-school time (OST) programs striving to meet standards promoting nutrition and physical activity need information about evidence-based practices and policies that offer low-cost, feasible strategies for creating, accurately measuring, and sustaining change. Additionally, well planned dissemination approaches that facilitate the spread of effective interventions are critical for optimal population impact.
APPROACH
The Out of School Nutrition and Physical Activity (OSNAP) Initiative is an environmental and policy intervention with evidence from a group-randomized controlled trial for improving health-promoting afterschool policies, practices, and child behaviors. To help programs promote nutrition and physical activity, OSNAP offers validated assessments of program practices, implementation and policy writing guides, and tools to set action plans. Locally, the Harvard School of Public Health Prevention Research Center staff have used a train-the-trainer model to build capacity of 11 school, city government, and YMCA employees to lead OSNAP learning communities and offer continuing education units to incentivize participation. To expand the geographic reach of OSNAP, we developed an interactive, easy-to-use website, osnap.org, and an online training for OST staff.
RESULTS
To date, OSNAP has been implemented in 86 programs in three communities through partnerships with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission. Additionally, 776 unique users have visited OSNAP.org in its first 6 months. The YMCA, Childhood Obesity180, and Center TRT have incorporated OSNAP into their recommended evidence-based materials.
DISCUSSION
OSNAP provides a sustainable model for disseminating an evidence-based nutrition and physical activity intervention via in-person and web-based channels at low cost.
Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programsConduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Learning Objectives:
Describe low-cost, evidence-based OSNAP resources for guiding organizations seeking to create sustainable change in nutrition and physical activity standards and practices in afterschool settings.
Identify different strategies for dissemination of a policy and environmental change intervention for afterschool programs.
Keyword(s): Nutrition, Physical Activity
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have earned a doctoral in public health in the department of social and behavioral sciences with a concentration on community interventions, implementation, and dissemination. Additionally, I have been working on nutrition and physical activity research in out-of-school time settings at the Harvard Prevention Research Center for the past 8 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.