Summer Food Service Program
Condition: Pediatric Obesity; Exercise
MeSH terms: Pediatric Obesity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This pilot trial is designed to test the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of offering
      the BOKS program, an evidence-based physical activity curriculum that engages school-age
      children in moderate to vigorous physical activity for one hour daily, alongside the USDA's
      Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) during the summer. Eighty children, ages 6-12 years and
      from low-income households, will be randomized to participate in the BOKS + SFSP program or
      to the SFSP alone. We anticipate that the BOKS program will not only provide increased
      physical activity for the participants, but that it will help to promote participation in the
      SFSP given that it will be offered in the same location directly before the SFSP lunches are
      served.
    

Detailed description: 
      Youth from low-resource communities are disproportionately affected by childhood obesity,
      independent of race and ethnicity. A time of particular vulnerability for excess weight gain
      in low-income youth is the summer. Findings from three separate low-income populations show
      that BMI z-scores (BMIz) decrease during the school year and increase during the summer in
      this population. To address this and aid in national obesity prevention efforts, the
      Institute of Medicine and the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity recommend increased
      access to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a federally-funded program that provides a
      free, healthy lunch meal to youth during the summer. However, participation in the SFSP is
      low. Based on qualitative work with families from low-income communities, this pilot trial is
      designed to test the acceptability and and preliminary efficacy of the BOKS program, an
      evidence-based physical activity curriculum that engages school-age children in moderate to
      vigorous physical activity for one hour daily, when offered alongside the USDA's Summer Food
      Service Program during the summer. Specifically, 80 children, ages 6-12 years and from
      low-income households, will be randomized to participate in the BOKS + SFSP program or to the
      SFSP alone. To test acceptability of the combined program versus the SFSP alone, we will
      compare SFSP participation (attendance) across groups. Additionally, we will examine physical
      fitness levels in both groups to determine if participation in the BOKS program prevents the
      loss of fitness gains achieved during the school year.
    

Intervention name(s): BOKS
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): BOKS is an evidence-based physical activity program developed by Reebok to get kids active and establish a lifelong commitment to health and fitness. It was originally developed and tested as a 12-week program offered before or after school. In the present study, BOKS will be offered four days per week for eight weeks over the summer at a public park in one low-income community. The program will run one-hour prior to lunch service by the USDA's Summer Food Service Program. The BOKS curriculum includes lesson plans for 40-45 minute classes that follow the same daily format and focus on a functional fitness skill of the week (squat, plank, push up, etc) and engage participants in team-oriented games.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Summer; Physical Activity; Health disparities