The announcement about the new study described below was posted on the Promising Practices in Afterschool listserv. I thought many of you might be interested in the results of this study. It is available at the web address listed below.
PPAS members might be interested in our new study of after-school program participation and child obesity published in the journal Applied Developmental Science.
Abstract
This longitudinal study assessed the role of after-school program (ASP) participation in the development of child obesity and peer acceptance in a sample of 439 children. Most participants lived in poverty and were Hispanic or African American. Measurements of height and weight determined obesity status and peer acceptance was assessed through teacher- and peer-responses to written surveys. Rates of obesity were 22% at baseline (M age = 4.9) and 29% at follow-up (M age = 8.1). Peer acceptance was significantly lower for obese children than nonobese children. Children who became involved in ASPs were significantly less likely to be obese at follow-up than nonparticipants. Both obese and nonobese ASP participants showed significant increases in peer acceptance over time.
The full article can be downloaded from my lab page: http://pantheon.yale.edu/~jlm79/
Joseph L. Mahoney, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Yale University
PO Box 208205
New Haven, CT 06520