Developing Physical Activity Interventions for the School and Home Settings: Lessons Learned from a Community-Academic Partnership

Abstract

Background Physical activity interventions designed for children living in the rural setting, particularly those that are cost effective and utilize common resources, are increasingly requested. Interventions for school and home settings are available but can be complicated and expensive to deliver. Methods In this study, we developed two physical activity interventions to be implemented in the school and home environments within rural settings of varying sizes and resources. This study, Activate!, was based on the socioecological model (SEM) and informed by local school personnel, families, and community health workers. Community members contributed to the development and implementation of the program. Results The resulting intervention package included several resources that were either already available in the school or home settings or could be easily collected by facilitators. Recommendations for frequency of use, capturing whether it is working, and methods for encouraging children and families were included in the packaging. Conclusions In this project, we successfully incorporated community (school and home) needs from a largely rural state within Appalachia to develop physical activity interventions for children. The Activate! interventions were designed for easy implementation by community members directly in both the school and home environments using common materials and easily reviewed packaging and guidance.