Promoting small business support of youth physical activity in low-income, minority neighborhoods (Preprint)
Authors: Suminski Richard , Robson Shannon , Plautz Eric 
Published: December 2018

BACKGROUND

An unacceptably high percentage of our nation’s low-income, minority youth (< 18 years of age) are not regularly physically active. This contributes to extreme health disparities such as obesity rates nearly two-fold higher than those seen in white youth and greater risk for diabetes and related cardiometabolic disorders. The presence of quality youth physical activity opportunities (YPAO) enables and encourages physically active lifestyles. Unfortunately, quality YPAOs often are lacking in places where minority youth live, resulting in low activity levels and subsequent health issues that represent significant disparities in our society. Our previous research found that small businesses (< 500 employees), which represent over 99% of all employers, are powerful resources for creating and improving YPAOs. In accordance with the Socioecological Model and established philanthropic principles, we developed an alpha version of an intervention (alpha-i) for increasing small businesses’ involvement with YPAOs.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of the proposed study is to create a beta version (beta-i) of the intervention and conduct a pilot study of its impact on small business support for YPAOs and YPAO utilization by youth in low-income, minority neighborhoods.

METHODS

We will complete three aims to meet our study objectives. Aim 1: Refine alpha-i components by completing focus groups with small business owners, YPAO providers, and parents/guardians of youth from low-income, predominantly minority neighborhoods. Results of the qualitative analysis will inform final tailoring of the intervention to create the beta-i which will be tested in Aim 2. Aim 2: Determine the effect of the beta-i on small business support for YPAOs in low-income, minority neighborhoods by conducting a plot cluster randomized-control trial with randomization at the neighborhood level. Intervention neighborhoods (n=10) will receive the beta-i while control neighborhoods (n=10) will be provided a standard practice intervention for a period of one year. The primary outcome for aim 2 will be the percentage of small businesses not supporting YPAOs at baseline that subsequently provide support for YPAOs at follow-up. We also will consider the U.S. dollar equivalent of all types of support (monetary, goods/services and time) donated for YPAOs by small businesses. Aim 3: Examine the impact of the increased small business support for YPAOs on YPAO utilization by youth. The primary outcome will be the percent change in the number of youth participating in YPAOs from baseline and follow-up in the treatment and control neighborhoods.

RESULTS

Outcomes from this study are pending; however, preliminary studies we’ve conducted supporting the research protocol indicate that 62% of businesses not supporting community physical activity initiatives thought they should support such initiatives and that businesses supporting YPAOs did so to give back to the neighborhood, improve children's health, provide athletic experiences, and/or increase customers/revenue. In a six-month pilot study of a developmental approach to encourage small business support of physical activity in their neighborhood, we observed a 27% increase in the number of businesses supporting local physical activity programs.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed study is significant because it will provide evidence that an easily replicated approach can be used to increase small business support for YPAOs and that this support results in greater use of the YPAOs by youth. Our next step will be to determine if YPAO changes resulting from increased small business support positively influence youth physical activity levels as measured by accelerometry. Our long-term goals are to create a nationally implementable practice for increasing support for YPAOs and strengthen the science of addressing health disparities in socially disadvantaged populations.