Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Dec 13:7:90.
doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-7-90.

HOP'N after-school project: an obesity prevention randomized controlled trial

David A Dzewaltowski  1 , Richard R Rosenkranz, Karly S Geller, Karen J Coleman, Gregory J Welk, Tanis J Hastmann, George A Milliken
Affiliations

HOP'N after-school project: an obesity prevention randomized controlled trial

David A Dzewaltowski et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. .

Abstract

Background: This paper reports the primary outcomes of the Healthy Opportunities for Physical Activity and Nutrition (HOP'N) after-school project, which was an effectiveness trial designed to evaluate the prevention of childhood obesity through building the capacity of after-school staff to increase physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable (FV) opportunities.

Methods: We conducted a three-year, nested cross-sectional group randomized controlled effectiveness trial. After a baseline assessment year (2005-2006), schools and their after-school programs were randomized to the HOP'N after-school program (n = 4) or control (n = 3), and assessed for two subsequent years (intervention year 1, 2006-2007; intervention year 2, 2007-2008). Across the three years, 715 fourth grade students, and 246 third and fourth grade after-school program participants were included in the study. HOP'N included community government human service agency (Cooperative Extension) led community development efforts, a three-time yearly training of after-school staff, daily PA for 30 minutes following CATCH guidelines, a daily healthful snack, and a weekly nutrition and PA curriculum (HOP'N Club). Child outcomes included change in age- and gender-specific body mass index z-scores (BMIz) across the school year and PA during after-school time measured by accelerometers. The success of HOP'N in changing after-school program opportunities was evaluated by observations over the school year of after-school program physical activity sessions and snack FV offerings. Data were analyzed in 2009.

Results: The intervention had no impact on changes in BMIz. Overweight/obese children attending HOP'N after-school programs performed 5.92 minutes more moderate-to-vigorous PA per day after intervention, which eliminated a baseline year deficit of 9.65 minutes per day (p < 0.05) compared to control site overweight/obese children. Active recreation program time at HOP'N sites was 23.40 minutes (intervention year 1, p = 0.01) and 14.20 minutes (intervention year 2, p = 0.10) greater than control sites. HOP'N sites and control sites did not differ in the number of FV offered as snacks.

Conclusions: The HOP'N program had a positive impact on overweight/obese children's PA and after-school active recreation time.

Trial registration: NCT01015599.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT diagram of after-school participant flow through the trial.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Influence of HOP'N After School Program on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by weight status. Upper bars for the baseline year are standard errors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Gonzalez-Suarez C, Worley A, Grimmer-Somers K, Dones V. School-based interventions on childhood obesity: A meta-analysis. AM J Prev Med. 2009;37(5):418. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.07.012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kelder SH, Mitchell PD, McKenzie TL, Derby C, Strikmiller PK, Luepker RV, Stone EJ. Long-term implementation of the CATCH physical education program. Health Educ Behav. 2003;30(4):463–75. doi: 10.1177/1090198103253538. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pate RR, O'Neill JR. After-school interventions to increase physical activity among youth. BR J Sports Med. 2009;43(1):14–18. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2008.055517. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Capizzano J, Tout K, Adams G. Child care patterns of school-age children with employed mothers. Washington, D.C., Urban Institute; 2000.
    1. Wirt J, Choy S, Rooney P, Provasnik S, Sen A, Tobin R. The condition of education 2004 (NCES 2004-077) Washington D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office; 2004.

Associated data