Search

Summary: This systematic review with the Delphi study aimed to identify effective and resource‐efficient (optimal) strategies for recruiting schools into health promotion interventions in the United States. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL (EBSCO). A total of 116 interventions reported in 160 articles were included. Most school‐based interventions did not report data regarding school recruitment duration (81%), target school size (63%), and school recruitment strategies (78%). Further, no details were provided regarding the reasons for declining to participate despite being eligible. For the Delphi, responses from 23 researchers in school‐based clinical trials were collected. A qualitative descriptive approach was used for coding responses and collapsed into higher‐order categories based on school recruitment strategies. Delphi participants reported that (1) creating new or leveraging pre‐existing partnerships, (2) intervention champion, (3) minimal school disruptions, (4) working with open mind/flexibility, and (5) transparent communication are the most optimal school recruitment strategies. Staff time and travel were the most frequently reported costs for implementing those strategies. The overall trend in school‐based obesity prevention intervention studies illustrates the importance of a better understanding school recruitment. Improved reporting can allow researchers to budget their time and resources better and provide greater confidence in reaching their target school size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children from low-income and racial/ethnic minority backgrounds are more prone to insufficient physical activity and heightened sedentary behaviors. This study aims to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity and decrease sedentary behaviors among high-risk children through an inclusive and transformative sport skill development physical education (PE) intervention., Methods: Elementary school-aged children were recruited from 3 public schools located in underserved communities in Houston, TX. Classrooms were randomly assigned to a sport-based PE class (intervention, 12 classrooms, n = 124) or a standard PE class (control, 13 classrooms, n = 133). The intervention was implemented at school by teachers over 10 weeks, whereas at home, the intervention group received equipment, virtual classes, and parent trainings. Activity behaviors were assessed using accelerometry (ActiGraph GT3X+) at baseline and post intervention. Multilevel linear mixed-effects models were conducted to examine changes in activity behaviors between the study conditions., Results: Participants were 9.33 (0.68) years old, and 46% were females, who identified as either Hispanic/Latino (48%) and/or Black (38%). The difference in minutes of weekend sedentary behavior change was 32 minutes between study conditions (P = .012). Specifically, intervention girls decreased weekend sedentary behavior by 37 minutes, whereas girls in the control condition increased by 8 minutes (P < .01). Despite the direction of change in overall, weekday, or weekend moderate to vigorous physical activity and overall or weekday sedentary behaviors in favor of the intervention, these effects did not reach the statistically significant level compared to the control condition., Conclusions: Sport-based PE intervention can be an important strategy to decrease child sedentary behaviors during out-of-school periods, particularly among girls.