Characteristics of Youth Who Participated in the VERB Summer Scorecard Physical Activity Promotion Program

Authors

Jen Nickelson, University of Alabama
Moya L. Alfonso, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow
Robert J. McDermott, University of South Florida
Carol A. Bryant, University of South FloridaFollow
Julie A. Baldwin, University of South FloridaFollow

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

10-2011

Abstract

Background: Tailored school-based and community-based physical activity programs can be informed by audience segmentation analysis to identify those portions (or sub-groups) of the population who are most likely to participate in programs. A Kentucky-based community coalition designed and pilot-tested a physical activity program, VERB^TM Summer Scorecard (VSS), leveraging the brand equity of the CDC's national VERB^TM It's What You Do!campaign, and a school-community partnership. Key elements of VSS subsequently were adopted in Sarasota County, Florida.

Purpose: This study identified characteristics of youth who did/did not participate in Sarasota's adaptation of VSS. SIGNIFICANCE: In 2009, only 18.4% of adolescents met the physical activity guideline for 60 minutes of daily aerobic activity.

Methods: Students in grades 5-8 from six randomly selected public schools completed a survey assessing VSS participation, physical activity level, psychosocial variables, parental support for physical activity, and demographics.

Findings: Logistic regression showed that VSS participants were more likely to be younger, i.e., from grades 5-6 than grades 7-8 (OR=6.055), and perceive high versus low parental support for physical activity (OR=4.627). Moreover, for each unit rise in self-efficacy, the odds of VSS participation rose by 1.839. CHAID analysis suggested an interaction effect between grade and school SES, with a large proportion of grade 7 and 8 youth from high SES schools being non-participants (76.6%).

Conclusions: A VSS-style program can be expected to have more effective uptake with youth who are younger, with high self-efficacy and high parental support for physical activity, and who are from middle-SES schools.

Sponsorship/Conference/Institution

American Public Health Association Annual Meeting (APHA)

Location

Washington, D.C.

Recommended Citation

Nickelson, Jen, Moya L. Alfonso, Robert J. McDermott, Carol A. Bryant, Julie A. Baldwin. 2011. "Characteristics of Youth Who Participated in the VERB Summer Scorecard Physical Activity Promotion Program." Community Health Faculty Presentations. Presentation 54.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/commhealth-pres/54