Children’s health and well-being are significantly shaped by their daily habits, particularly physical activity and screen time. In Australia, a concerning number of children are not meeting recommended daily guidelines for either. With nearly half a million school-aged children attending Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) each week, these programs present a crucial opportunity to influence positive change. Activities within OSHC settings can play a vital role in helping children achieve healthier lifestyles. However, current practices in OSHC vary widely and often lack clear policy direction.
The Activated OSHC program is designed as a policy-driven intervention to address this gap. It aims to support OSHC services in implementing evidence-based physical activity and screen time guidelines. A study is underway across 192 OSHC services in Australia to evaluate the program’s effectiveness. Services are randomly assigned to either implement the Activated OSHC program or continue with their standard practices. Researchers are collecting data through online surveys with OSHC coordinators, focusing on scheduling, costs, and program acceptance.
The primary goal of this research is to determine if the Activated OSHC program increases the proportion of services adhering to recommended physical activity and screen time guidelines for the sector. Secondary outcomes include assessing changes in children’s actual physical activity and screen time behaviors, as well as shifts in staff practices within these programs. Mixed-effects regression models will be used to analyze the data and understand the program’s impact.
This study’s findings will provide critical insights into the effectiveness of policy-based interventions within outside school hours care programs. By implementing clear guidelines and supporting OSHC services, the Activated OSHC program has the potential to significantly improve children’s physical activity levels and reduce excessive screen time. Ultimately, this can lead to healthier habits and better well-being for children attending outside school hours care programs.
