Search

Purpose The purposes of this study are to describe the costs of implementing an after-school physical activity intervention in three diverse, low-resourced, schools and to understand the potential aerobic impact of this program by cost.Design We conducted a cost utilization study from an 8.5-month physical activity intervention.Setting Three diverse, low-resourced, middle schools in the Midwest; The sample (N = 178) were mostly males (52.2%), African American or Black (54.8%), and divided between 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.Method Costs were collected from contracts, invoices, payroll, and receipts. Metabolic equivalents were collected from past literature. Costs/MET-hour were calculated for the schools and entire program by dividing costs by total MET-hours engaged in physical activity.Results Costs were $2.51/MET-hour, $8.96/MET-hour, and $10.73/MET-hour for the three schools. On average, the intervention had a cost of $4.73/MET-hour.Conclusions Cost/MET-hour for the present study is comparable or lower than other school-based physical activity interventions that require additional staff time and programming outside of standard classroom activities. Scale-up of after-school programs may be one way to improve the costs of programs in both schools and districts.

Purpose Understand the cost of delivering existing community-based, no cost to participant, aerobic dance and yoga classes in an underserved, racial and ethnic minority community in the Midwest.Design Pilot 4-month observational, descriptive, cost analysis of community fitness classes.Setting Community-wide, group-based, fitness classes online, and in parks and community centers in traditionally Black neighborhoods in Kansas City.Participants Participants (N = 1428) were recruited from underserved, racial and ethnic minority areas of Kansas City, Missouri.Intervention Aerobic dance and yoga classes were provided free of charge to all residents of Kansas City, Missouri online and in-person. Each class was approximately 1 hour, with a warmup and cooldown. All classes were delivered by African American women.Methods Descriptive statistics of the costs for the program are presented. Cost per metabolic equivalents (MET) were calculated. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to examine differences between aerobic dance and yoga cost per MET.Results The total program costs were $10,759.88 USD, with 1428 participants attending 82 classes over the 4-month intervention. The cost per MET was $1.67, $1.11, and $0.74/MET-hour/session/attendee for low, moderate, and high-intensity aerobic dance, respectively, and $3.02/MET-hour/session/attendee for yoga. Aerobic dance had a significantly lower cost per MET than yoga (t= 13.6, P< .001, t= 47.6, P< .001, t= 92.8, P< .001, for low, moderate, and high-intensity, respectively).Conclusions Delivering community-based, physical activity interventions in racial and ethnic minority communities is a potential way to increase physical activity. The costs of group-based fitness classes are similar to other physical activity interventions. Further research needs to be conducted on the costs to increase physical activity of traditionally underserved populations who suffer from higher rates of inactivity and comorbidities.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate a weekly school-based fruit and vegetable delivery via a mobile market on urban middle schoolers’ nutrition behaviors.Design One-group, pretest-posttest design, quasi-experimental intervention in middle schoolers (6th-8th graders, N = 158) in Kansas City, MOIntervention Weekly delivery of free produce via a mobile market over 12 weeks.Measures A self-administered survey to assess self-report consumption of fruits, vegetables, soda, and sports drinks.Analysis Univariate and bivariate analyses were used. Proportions were compared and chi-square tests were conducted to compare youth at baseline and 12 weeks.Results More youth reported consuming fresh fruit (73.8% to 83.3%; χ2= 7.76, P =.005) and vegetables (66.4% to 71.3%; χ2= 13.55, P= <.001) from baseline to follow-up. Less youth reported soda (49.0% to 52.8%; χ2= 6.33, P =.012) and sports drinks (41.8% to 38.2%; χ2= 12.32, P< .001) from baseline to follow-up.Conclusions A mobile produce delivery intervention, like the Healthy Harvest Mobile Market, may be an effective strategy to increase fruit and vegetable consumption for adolescents.

Background: Sexually transmitted infection rates continue to increase across the US, further developing health disparities and economic burdens of disease, especially as migration occurs. In this study, we aim to assess the relationship between STI rates and population-level variables from 2008 to 2017 at the county level in Missouri. Methods: Two data sources were used: STI rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV reported to Missouri DHSS and ACS 1-year county population estimates. Linear regression models and ANOVA tests were conducted in SPSS for each STI from year-to-year and 2008–2017. Covariates included in the analyzes were county-level income, employment rate, race, ethnicity, age, and percent poverty. Further, Akaike Information Criterion tests were performed to indicate the best predictor models and averaged standardized beta values. Results: Significant relationships among STI rates and population growth were identified. Chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV were positively associated with population growth from 2008 to 2017 (β = 0.15; β = 0.01; β = 0.05, respectively). Gonorrhea was negatively associated with population growth (β = − 0.02) but positively associated with unemployment rates (β = 0.01) highlighting the need to address population growth, as well as other variables in a population. Conclusions: There seems to be a positive relationship among population change and rates of STIs. As populations change, rates of STIs change. Moving forward, quantitative work should be conducted in various states and the nation to understand this relationship in different contexts. Future studies should be qualitative word focused on county health departments and community health improvement plans. Lastly, public policy should be implemented to buffer the impact of migration on health outcomes.

Community health improvement plans (CHIPs) are foundational public health practice, yet no studies have been conducted to understand implementation of these plans. This evaluation study of the Kansas City CHIP aims to 1) identify implementation strategies used in the CHIP, 2) assess changes in implementation, service, and client outcomes, 3) assess contextual factors associated with implementation, and 4) understand social networks of coalitions who implement the Kansas City CHIP.