Promoting Healthy Development through a Community Youth Development Program: The Impact of Key Adult Figures

Background

Youth participation in physical activity helps reduce chronic diseases and promotes wellbeing (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). However, among youth of color, living in poverty, physical inactivity is disproportionately prevalent which negatively impacts development (Basch, 2011). To provide equal opportunities and ensure healthy development for all youth, community youth development (CYD) programs have begun utilizing sport and recreation to promote physical health (Anderson-Butcher et al., 2013). Although evidence is emerging in relation to the importance of CYD, the effects of key adult figures on physical health outcomes of youth participants is underexplored. This study examines the effects of staff and parental support on physical health outcomes related to self-efficacy, health and fitness intentions, and physical fitness of youth of color, living in poverty over the course of their involvement in a CYD program.

Methods

This study used longitudinal data from youth who attended the LiFEsports Summer Camp, a CYD program designed to provide youth of color, living in poverty with opportunities to engage in programming aimed at promoting physical health. A total of 375 youth involved in the CYD program were included in the study, which included 210 males (58%) and 151 females (41.7%) who were a mean age of 11.27 (SD=1.57) years. The majority of the youth were African American (82.6%) and received free/reduced lunch (66.6%).

Youths’ perceptions of their confidence to be physically active was measured with pretest and posttest surveys using the 5-item Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Scale (PASE; Dzewaltowski et al., 2010). To measure youths’ health and fitness intentions as a result the program, the 4-item Health and Fitness Intentions (HFI) Scale was completed at posttest (CAYCI, 2016). The Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER), a physiological indicator of aerobic fitness, was completed at pre- and post-program (Leger et al., 1988). Finally, youths’ perception of staff and parental support for health and fitness were measured using two, 3-item scales at posttest: Counselor Support for Health and Fitness Scale and Parent Support for Health and Fitness Scale (Anderson-Butcher et al., 2013; Bolter & Weiss, 2012). Separate hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to predict the posttest scores of each main outcome variable (PASE, HFI, PACER).

 

Results

Analysis of PASE scores revealed, after controlling for pretest scores, staff support (ß=.10; sr²=.01), parental support (ß=.22; sr²=.02), and the interaction of adult figures (ß=-.14; sr²=.01) were each significant predictors. Similarly, analysis predicting HFI scores revealed staff support (ß=.28; sr²=.06), parental support (ß=.22; sr²=.02), and the interaction of adult figures (ß=-.12; sr²=.01) were each significant predictors. Finally, analysis of PACER scores suggested neither staff nor parental support significantly predicted posttest scores.

 

Implications

Findings provide initial evidence for the role key adult figures in supporting physical health outcomes of youth involved in a CYD program. Specifically, the study demonstrates the positive impact of perceived staff and parental support on youth physical activity self-efficacy and health and fitness intentions. The current study lends credence to the value of CYD programs as settings that provides opportunities for healthy development of all youth, particularly underserved populations.