Impact Analysis of Metro Parks' After-School Programming on Physical Activity, Weight and Fitness Outcomes

Tennessee ranks 4th for the highest prevalence of adult obesity in the nation (30.2%), and ranks 5th for the highest rate of youth obesity (36.5%). The Division of General Pediatrics at Vanderbilt has a specific research focus to develop community engagement projects that measurably reduce childhood obesity. Metro Parks and Recreation has been showcased by the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) as a national model for its leadership role in community health and wellness. The two have created a unique academic-community partnership, guided by principals of community-based participatory research (CBPR), that is working to test and disseminate effective Metro Parks-based programs to reduce pediatric obesity. The proposed study will examine the impact of the Coleman Community Center after-school program on routine physical activity, weight and fitness outcomes in children who belong to the low-income and racial and ethnic minority populations at highest risk for childhood obesity. This study was requested by Metro Parks and has significant policy implications: If the program is deemed effective in improving daily physical activity, weight and/or fitness outcomes in students, the proposed study will serve as the rationale to expand the program to Metro Parks' 22 community centers, all of which are located in under-resourced neighborhoods.