Policy to Practice: Statewide Rollout of YMCA Childhood Obesity Standards

The investigators research team developed a conceptual framework that identifies critical modifiable levers within Out of School Time programs that can be altered and/or strengthened to reach policy or standards goals. These include the policy environment at the national, state and local levels; characteristics of the individual site, program leadership, staff, and children; and existing outside organizational partnerships. This framework was informed by complex systems change, social ecology, systemic capacity building , and the literature on the impact of public health policy that identifies key elements of the system to be targeted as well as possible influences on those elements.

Viewing OST programs as complex systems, "Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards" represent one of many leverage points within a system. Existing efforts to implement standards rest solely upon the voluntary adoption of the standards, with little to no other changes to the OST program setting. It is clear from our preliminary work and comprehensive reviews that OST programs are falling short of meeting goals set forth in the standards.