Increasing physical activity in children 8 to 12 years old: experiences with VERB Summer Scorecard.
Interventions which facilitate physical activity of youth are vital for promoting community health and reducing obesity. This study assessed the results of a community-driven program, VERB Summer Scorecard, as knowledge of exposure to and awareness of community-based interventions for physical activity among youth could inform design and implementation of such interventions. A total of 2,215 youth ages 8 to 12 years responded to a survey about physical activity. Ordinal logistic regression suggested that youth who participated in this program were 1.73 times (95% CI = 1.41, 2.11) more likely to report high physical activity than nonparticipating youth 9 mo. after the intervention's first full-scale application. The program appeared to appeal more to girls than boys. Such results are encouraging for use in communities.
Department of Community and Family Health, Florida Prevention Research Center, University of South Florida College of Public Health, Tampa, FL 33612-3805, USA. rmcdermo@health.usf.edu
Robert J
RJ
McDermott
Jenna L
JL
Davis
Carol A
CA
Bryant
Anita H
AH
Courtney
Moya L
ML
Alfonso
D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000379:methods; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D040241:Social Marketing; D014040:Token Economy