Kids on the Move: Afterschool Programs Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Table of Contents Introduction 4 Key Findings 5 Section 1: Afterschool Programs Meeting Parents’ Expectations Around Healthy Eating and Physical Activity 11 Section 2: Areas of Improvement for the Afterschool Field 21 Section 3: Recommendations 26 Endnotes 29 The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs. More information is available at afterschoolalliance.org Acknowledgements This 2015 America After 3PM special report, “Kids on the Move: Afterschool Programs Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity,” was made possible by the generous support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. We would also like to thank Dr. Georgia Hall, Senior Research Scientist at the National Institute on Out-of-School Time and Dr. Jean Wiecha, Public Health Nutritionist at RTI International, for lending their time and expertise to this project. Special thanks to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation staff Jamie Bussel and Tina Kauh for their guidance and valuable insight on this report. Data from this special report are based on the 2014 America After 3PM survey results, which could not have been possible without support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Noyce Foundation, with further support from the Heinz Endowments, The Robert Bowne Foundation and the Samueli Foundation. 3 AMERICA AFTER 3PM - KIDS ON THE MOVE Introduction A decade ago, 6.5 million children were in an afterschool program.1i Today, A Closer Look Inside Afterschool that number has reached more than 10 million.ii Concurrently, afterschool programs have continued to grow in sophistication, increase their offerings From the ringing of the last school bell until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, the and improve quality.iii As the role of afterschool programs has evolved YMCA of Columbia, located in Columbia, from primarily providing a safe and supervised environment to a resource South Carolina, provides close to 600 students in their community—more than that provides a host of supports for their students, programs have become 60 percent of whom qualify for federal free or reduced price lunch—with a safe valuable partners in helping students reach their full potential in school, environment and supportive mentors. career and life. Students in the program receive healthy snacks, participate in physical activities, receive homework help and take part in This convergence of factors has resulted in students and their families STEM learning opportunities including building pinball machines, rockets and increasingly taking advantage of the multitude of benefits offered by balloon-powered cars. afterschool programs, such as academic enrichment, hands-on learning, Students’ health and wellness are core and caring and supportive mentors. Afterschool programs have also become concerns for the YMCA of Columbia, a promising approach to help improve the health and wellness of students, with afterschool programs in the area offering a diverse mix of physical activity from providing students with access to nutritious foods to promoting healthy opportunities, such as yoga, dance, swim, physical fitness games and basketball habits to keeping students physically fit.iv tournaments that include parent and student teams. In addition to providing a nutritious snack each day, program staff The focus of this America After 3PM special report, “Kids on the Move: help students learn about nutritional Afterschool Programs Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity,” is information and developing healthy eating habits, share ideas for healthy snacks and on the role that afterschool programs are playing to support the health teach the importance of keeping active. and wellness of their students. More specifically, this report will cover Partnering with the University of South parents’ expectations of afterschool programs to keep their child healthy Carolina, the YMCA of Columbia has been and active, how satisfied parents are with the food and physical activity working since 2011 to meet the Healthy Eating Physical Activity Standards (HEPA) provided in their child’s afterschool program, and existing opportunities to and an evaluation of the programs shows much progress has been made (see Section improve afterschool programs’ nutritional and physical activity offerings. 3 to learn more about the HEPA Standards). Given the high number of students in the U.S. who are living in households The evaluation found that from 2012 to 2013, the number of servings of fruits or where consistent access to healthy food is a challenge, who are overweight vegetables at the programs increased from or obese, or who are not getting the recommended amount of daily physical one-tenth of a serving to five servings per week, programs stopped serving candy activity, this report also outlines strategies to help afterschool programs and sugar-sweetened beverages, and make even greater strides to address the health and wellness needs of the percentage of students meeting the programs’ physical activity goal increased. their students and help our nation’s children get healthy, stay healthy and lead healthier lives. 1 In the America After 3PM survey questionnaire, “afterschool program” was defined as, “A program that a child regularly attends that provides a supervised, enriching environment in the hours after the school day ends, typically around 3 p.m. These programs are usually offered in schools or community centers and are different from individual activities such as sports, special lessons, or hobby clubs, and different from child care facilities that provide supervision but not enrichment.” 4 AMERICA AFTER 3PM - KIDS ON THE MOVE Key Findings Afterschool programs continue to make advances when it comes to providing students with nutritious foods, keeping students physically fit and promoting health. Such programs have great potential to help prevent obesity and instill lifelong healthy habits, serving more than 10 million children and youth across America, with more than 19 million more who would be enrolled in a program if one were available to them.v This America After 3PM special report, “Kids on the Move: Afterschool Programs Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity,” is based on survey responses collected for the third edition of America After 3PM: Afterschool Programs in Demand, which was released in October 2014. America After 3PM: Afterschool Programs in Demand covers 10 years of data detailing how children and youth spend the hours between 3 and 6 p.m., including determining the number of children who are able to take part in an afterschool program, the number of children who would participate in an afterschool program if one were available to them, and the number of children who are alone and unsupervised in the hours after school. This special report concentrates on parents’ reports of efforts made by afterschool programs to help improve the health and physical fitness of children and youth around the country. It also describes areas where afterschool programs can better meet the needs of students and families when it comes to health and wellness and outlines steps we can take as a nation to help make positive change for students’ overall health. Section 1 of this special report, “Afterschool Programs Meeting Parents’ Expectations around Healthy Eating and Physical Activity,” investigates parents’ expectations of afterschool programs around healthy eating and physical activity, and discusses how afterschool programs are rising to meet these expectations. Particular attention is paid to low-income families and African-American and Hispanic families, as well as differences between afterschool programs serving older youth versus younger children. Section 2, “Areas of Improvement for the Afterschool Field,” examines parents’ answers covered in the first section, analyzing and highlighting areas where—based on parents’ surveyed—the afterschool field can take steps to expand and make progress on helping keep students healthy and active. The final section, “Recommendations,” proposes ideas to help move the nation toward becoming a healthier and happier society. The findings in this report are based on survey responses from parents, during which 30,720 households were screened nationally, and 13,709 households completed in-depth interviews through an online survey using a blend of national consumer panels. All survey participants live in the U.S. and are guardians of a school-age child living in their household.2 Below are key findings and recommendations from the report:3 2 A detailed description of America After 3PM’s survey methodology can be found in America After 3PM: Afterschool Programs in Demand, available at: http://afterschoolalliance.org/documents/AA3PM-2014/AA3PM_National_Report.pdf. 3 All comparisons included in the key findings section are statistically significant at the 95 percent confidence level. 5 AMERICA AFTER 3PM - KIDS ON THE MOVE Section 1: Afterschool Programs Meeting Parents’ Expectations Around Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Healthy Eating Findings: • Parents look to afterschool programs to provide healthy foods to children during the out-of-school time hours. More than 7 in 10 parents surveyed (71 percent) agree that afterschool programs should provide healthy beverages, snacks and/or meals. Parents of children in an afterschool program are even more likely to agree (77 percent). • Most afterschool programs offer children meals or snacks and overwhelmingly, parents with a child in those programs are satisfied that the food is healthy. Seventy-two percent of parents with a child in an afterschool programs say that their program offers beverages, snacks and/or meals. Among this group of parents, they overwhelmingly report that their afterschool program serves snacks that include healthy foods (72 percent) and that they are satisfied that the food served is healthy (81 percent). Close to half of these parents (48 percent) are “extremely satisfied,” one-third of parents are “satisfied” and less than 1 in 10 parents (7 percent) report that they are not satisfied. • Providing healthy food in an afterschool program is especially important to low-income families. Compared with higher-income parents, low-income parents are more likely to agree that afterschool programs have a responsibility to provide healthy food to their students and are also more likely to say that providing healthy food was an important factor when selecting an afterschool program. Seventy-four percent of low-income parents agree that afterschool programs should provide healthy beverages, snacks and/or meals compared to 69 percent of higher-income parents. Among parents who have a child in an afterschool program, 67 percent of low-income parents say that a program offering healthy snacks and/ or meals was very important in the selection of their child’s afterschool program, compared to 58 percent of higher-income parents. • The availability of healthy foods in afterschool programs is of particular importance to parents of younger children compared with parents of older youth. While available nutritious food in the hours after school is important to most parents, 76 percent of parents of younger children—children in kindergarten through fifth grade—agree that afterschool programs should provide healthy foods, compared to 65 percent of parents of older youth—students in grades six through 12. Additionally, 65 percent of parents of younger children say that providing healthy snacks or meals in an afterschool program was very important in selecting their child’s afterschool program, compared with 57 percent of parents of older youth. Younger children are also more likely than older youth to receive food at their afterschool program. Seventy-eight percent of parents of younger children say that their child’s afterschool program provides food, compared to 62 percent of parents of older youth, a difference of 16 percentage points. 6 AMERICA AFTER 3PM - KIDS ON THE MOVE Physical Activity Findings: Physical Activity Findings: • Parents want afterschool programs to help keep their children physically active. Eight in 10 parents surveyed agree that afterschool programs should help children be physically active and 8 in 10 agree that afterschool programs should be a fun experience for children. Parents with a child in an afterschool program are even more likely to agree that afterschool programs should help children be physically active (84 percent). While opportunities for physical activity in an afterschool program were not among the top-tier reasons why parents selected an afterschool program, 68 percent of parents report that opportunities for physical activity were very important in their decision to select their child’s primary afterschool program. • Today, more parents agree that afterschool programs keep kids physically active compared to five years ago. Eighty percent of parents with a child in an afterschool program say that their afterschool program offers opportunities for physical activity. In 2009, 76 percent of parents with a child in an afterschool program agreed with the statement, “Afterschool programs offer my children opportunities to be physically active.” Parents surveyed also report that they are satisfied with the physical activity at their child’s afterschool program. Among parents who answered that their child’s afterschool program offers opportunities for physical activity, 84 percent are satisfied with the amount of physical activity offered and 84 percent are satisfied with the variety of physical activity offered. • Parents report that the duration and intensity of the physical activity their children receive in afterschool programs varies. Sixty-seven percent of parents say that their child gets at least 30 minutes of physical activity during a typical day in their afterschool program and 27 percent report that their child engages in at least 60 minutes. When asked about the intensity of their child’s physical activity at the afterschool program, while 88 percent of parents believe that at least some of the physical activity is moderate to vigorous, only 43 percent believe that all or most of the physical activity is moderate to vigorous. • Low-income families report that afterschool programs are keeping their children active. Most low-income parents believe that afterschool programs should contribute to keeping children physically active, with approximately 8 in 10 parents (79 percent) agreeing that afterschool programs should offer children opportunities for physical activity. Seventy-nine percent of low-income parents report that their child’s afterschool program offers opportunities for physical activity, 78 percent are satisfied with the amount of physical activity offered and 79 percent are satisfied with the variety of physical activity offered. • Parents of younger children feel more strongly about the role afterschool programs play in keeping students physically active than parents of older youth. More than 8 in 10 parents of younger children (82 percent) agree that afterschool programs should help children be physically active, with more than half (51 percent) completely agreeing. Slightly more than 3 in 4 parents of older youth (77 percent) agree, a five percentage point difference. 7 AMERICA AFTER 3PM - KIDS ON THE MOVE Perspectives from African-American and Hispanic Parents: • The availability of food that is healthy and opportunities for physical activity are especially important to African-American and Hispanic parents. Two out of 3 African-American parents (67 percent) and Hispanic parents (66 percent) say that providing healthy snacks and/or meals during an afterschool program was very important in choosing their child’s afterschool program, compared with just over half of white parents (55 percent). When asking parents overall if afterschool programs should provide healthy food options, 77 percent of African-American parents agree, as did 69 percent of Hispanic parents. Additionally, 7 in 10 African-American parents (71 percent) and Hispanic parents (71 percent) report that physical activity opportunities were very important when selecting their child’s afterschool program. More than 8 in 10 African-American parents (82 percent) and Hispanic parents (82 percent) agree that afterschool programs should help children be physically active. Section 2: Areas of Improvement for the Afterschool Field • Many parents are unaware that standards for healthy eating and physical activity exist in afterschool programs. Although more than half of parents with a child in an afterschool program report that they are aware that there are recommended standards for physical activity (56 percent), as well as standards for the types of food and beverages that are considered healthy and should be served in an afterschool program (64 percent), approximately 4 in 10 parents remain unaware that recommended standards for healthy eating (36 percent) and physical activity (44 percent) exist. • More work can be done to increase the healthy food options and physical activity in afterschool programs. Parent satisfaction with opportunities for physical activity and the nutritious snacks and meals in their child’s afterschool program is high; however, there is more work to be done to increase healthy food options and physical activity in afterschool programs. For instance, when taking into account all parents with a child in an afterschool program, slightly more than half (52 percent) say that their child’s afterschool program offers snacks that include healthy foods. When asked specific questions about the duration and intensity of their child’s physical activity, less than 3 in 10 parents (27 percent) say that while in an afterschool program, their child meets the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity and only 4 in 10 parents (43 percent) say that all or most of the physical activity provided in the program is moderate to vigorous. • Older youth are less likely than younger children to receive food in their afterschool program, and they are also less likely to be physically active in their program. One-third of parents of older youth report that their child does not receive snacks or meals at their 8 AMERICA AFTER 3PM - KIDS ON THE MOVE afterschool program, 13 percentage points higher than parents of younger students (20 percent), and 21 percent of parents of older youth say that their afterschool program does not offer physical activity, compared to 12 percent of younger students, a 9 percentage point difference. • When parents do not have a child in an afterschool program, they are less aware of the positive role programs can play to help keep children healthy and active. Overall, parents agree that afterschool programs can provide opportunities for physical activity and access to nutritious food. However, there is room to improve parents’ perceptions of programs, especially among parents who do not have a child in a program. For example, while 85 percent of parents of participants agree that afterschool programs offer children opportunities to be physically active, 73 percent of parents of nonparticipants agree, a 12 percentage point difference. When asked about afterschool programs providing children healthy beverages, snacks and meals, while 75 percent of parents of participants agree, 59 percent of parents of nonparticipants agree, a difference of 16 percentage points. Section 3: Recommendations • Increase awareness of the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards. Based on parents’ answers regarding awareness of existing standards for the food and physical activity in afterschool programs, additional measures should be taken to increase parents’ knowledge of the standards. Increasing awareness of the HEPA standards holds the potential to have multiple positive effects. Greater knowledge of the standards can lead to higher parent expectations of afterschool programs, which can in turn lead to afterschool programs taking further steps to improve the quality of their food offerings and opportunities for physical activity. An increased awareness of the standards also has the ability to empower parents to become health and wellness advocates. • Highlight the role that afterschool programs can play in promoting students’ health and wellness. Cultivating awareness of the opportunities for physical activity and the healthy snacks and meals offered at many afterschool programs can help parents see afterschool programs as an important part of the solution to keep children healthy and active. Among parents of nonparticipants in particular, this increased awareness holds the potential to positively influence their decision to enroll their child in a program, and therefore have access to the supports that afterschool programs provide. • Ensure that afterschool program providers are aware of existing policies and programs that offer support for creating a healthier after school environment. Increased outreach efforts to the afterschool field are necessary to ensure that all program providers are aware of the available supports that may help them better serve the students in their programs. For example, the At-Risk 9 AMERICA AFTER 3PM - KIDS ON THE MOVE Afterschool Meals Program—offered through the Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)—provides afterschool programs serving low-income communities with federal funding to serve snacks and meals during the out-of-school-time hours. • Increase investment in afterschool programs. As the number of children in afterschool programs and the demand for afterschool programs continues to grow, increased investments in programs are crucial in order for afterschool programs to meet the rising need for programs, as well as improve their food and physical activity offerings. Federal, state and local entities and the private sector must come together and lend their support to programs through increased investment, partnerships and commitment to help afterschool programs better serve their students when it comes to healthy eating and physical activity. A greater investment in afterschool programs also has the ability to provide vital supports to higher-needs communities, where the demand for programs is greatest. 10 AMERICA AFTER 3PM - KIDS ON THE MOVE