Regular physical activity significantly improves health outcomes, yet rates of childhood physical activity remain alarmingly low. Physical literacy has been identified as the foundation for quality physical education, suggesting that sport, education, and public health interventions should seek to increase physical literacy to promote physical activity. A two-week day camp program for children aged 6–10 facing barriers to positive development, was developed and delivered by a Sport for Development facility in Toronto, Canada. Utilizing fundamental movement skills (FMS) as a teaching tool and a pre- and post-assessment, the camp aimed to increase physical literacy and promote engagement in physical activity. Results indicate a significant increase in FMS (t (44) = 4.37, p < .001) as well as improved self-perceptions of physical literacy (t (40) = 14.96, p < .001). The largest FMS increases were found in running and balance and the most significant impacts were among low baseline performers.

BackgroundYouth facing barriers created by social marginalization are at a greater risk of adverse health outcomes, lower educational and occupational attainment, and decreased overall quality of life as adults. The negative psychosocial and physiological consequences of significant barriers to positive development during youth may be mitigated by interventions promoting physical activity, psychosocial development, and healthy behaviours. Sport for Development programming is a possible opportunity for youth facing barriers to engage in activities that foster positive youth development, which may improve socioeconomic outcomes, quality of life and long-term health status in this population. This paper outlines the study protocol measuring impact of an urban Sport for Development facility on positive youth development in youth facing barriers.Methods/designParticipants aged 6–29 will be recruited from programs at an urban Sport for Development facility to a 2-year prospective longitudinal mixed-methods study. Participants will be stratified by age into three cohorts with age-specific outcomes. Age-specific positive youth development outcomes will be assessed quantitatively by self-report and pedometer at baseline and after 6 months, 1-year, and 2-years of program participation. Focus groups will provide data regarding youth experience and the impact of facility and program components on youth outcomes.DiscussionOur findings will inform best-practice and feasibility of a Sport for Development facility delivering programs in a socially and economically challenged urban setting in a high-income country.Trial registrationISRCTN67016999. Date of registration: October 22, 2019.

Background: Food insecurity has been shown to be associated with poor dietary quality and eating behaviors, which can have both short- and long-term adverse health outcomes in children. The objective was to investigate the food security status, dietary intakes, and eating behaviors in a convenience sample of youth participating in the Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment LaunchPad programming in downtown Toronto, Ontario. Methods: Youth aged 9–18 years were recruited to participate in the study. Food security status, dietary intakes, and eating behaviors were collected using parent- or self-reported questionnaires online. Results: Sixty-six youth (mean ± SD: 11.7 ± 1.9 years) participated in the study. The prevalence of household food insecurity was higher than the national average (27.7% vs. 16.2%). Dietary intake patterns were similar to the national trends with low intakes of fiber, inadequate intakes of calcium and vitamin D; and excess intakes of sodium, added sugar, and saturated fat. Despite a low prevalence of poor eating habits, distracted eating was the most frequently reported poor eating habit. Conclusions: Although youth were at high risk for experiencing household food insecurity, inadequate dietary intake patterns were similar to the national trends. Our findings can be used to develop future programming to facilitate healthy dietary behaviors appropriate for the target community.

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The COVID-19 pandemic affected sport programming by restricting in-person activities. Concurrently, global outcry for racial justice for Black and racialized communities promoted calls to action to assess equitable practices in sport, including sport for development (SFD). This study critically examined SFD “return to play” programming to include perspectives from racialized persons’ lived experiences. We present findings based on data collected from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Foundation’s Change the Game campaign, which explored questions of sport inequity to “build back better.” Outcomes further SFD discourses challenging (potentially) harmful structures affecting participants, including underreported effects of racialization. The study used both quantitative and qualitative analyses of survey data on youth experiences, enablers, and barriers in sport and analyzed these results within an antiracist, antioppressive, and decolonial conceptual framework.