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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Evidence Tools
MCHbest. Physical Activity.

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Strategy. Family-Based Physical Activity Interventions

Approach. Include families in physical activity interventions to encourage support for positive behavior for children and adolescents through educational sessions and role modeling

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Overview. Family-based physical activity interventions rely on engaging parents and guardians to participate in and to promote physical activity within a family setting. Increasing familial support for physical activity can be introduced through educational sessions on health, goal setting, and family behavioral management. The hope is that by increasing positivity related to physical activity and other healthy activities in the home, that it will benefit children and adolescents within the household. Examples of studies with positive outcomes used a variety of educational opportunities for families and children at local community centers to promote healthy behaviors and physical activity as well as educational materials (booklets, workbooks) to help organize physical activity opportunities within the home.[1, 2]

Evidence. Mixed Evidence. Strategies based on mixed/limited evidence have produced varied results and their effectiveness is dependent on specific contexts and settings. Use pilot testing and monitoring to determine if these strategies achieve desired impact in local communities.

Access the peer-reviewed evidence through the MCH Digital Library or related evidence source.

Potential Data Sources. Data to support this strategy can be accessed through:

  • Family program attendance and participation records
  • Pre/post intervention family activity questionnaires
  • Parents self-efficacy and knowledge questionnaires

Outcome Components. This strategy has shown to have impact on the following outcomes (Read more about these categories):

  • Health and Health Behaviors/Behavior Change. This strategy improves individuals' physical and mental health and their adoption of healthy behaviors (e.g., healthy eating, physical activity).
  • Environmental Health. This strategy improves the impact of physical, chemical, and biological factors in the environment on health.

Detailed Outcomes. For specific outcomes related to each study supporting this strategy, access the peer-reviewed evidence and read the Intervention Results for each study.

Intervention Type. Health Teaching (Education and Promotion) (Read more about intervention types and levels as defined by the Public Health Intervention Wheel).

Intervention Level. Community-Focused

Examples from the Field. Access descriptions of ESMs that use this strategy or aligned components.

Sample ESMs. Here are sample ESMs to use as models for your own measures using the RBA framework (see The Role of Title V in Adapting Strategies).

Quadrant 1:
Measuring Quantity of Effort (“What/how much did we do?”)

  • Number of evidence-based family physical activity programs implemented in community settings. (Assesses adherence to best practices)
  • Number of partnerships formed with local family-serving organizations to promote interventions. (Evaluates community engagement)

Quadrant 2:
Measuring Quality of Effort (“How well did we do it?”)

  • Percent of family interventions that incorporate both educational and practical physical activity components. (Measures comprehensive program design)
  • Percent of program facilitators trained in family systems approaches. (Evaluates capacity for effective delivery)

Quadrant 3:
Measuring Quantity of Effect (“Is anyone better off?”)

  • Number of intergenerational physical activity events organized in the community. (Shows innovative engagement strategies)
  • Number of family physical activity "champions" trained to lead neighborhood initiatives. (Measures community capacity building)
  • Number of additional hours of family physical activity reported per week among participants. (Quantifies behavior change)
  • Number of new family-friendly physical activity spaces created in neighborhoods. (Measures environmental impact)

Quadrant 4:
Measuring Quality of Effect (“How are they better off?”)

  • Percent of program resources allocated to reaching families in areas with high childhood obesity rates. (Measures strategic resource deployment)
  • Percent of intervention strategies tailored to address challenges faced by different family structures. (Assesses program design)
  • Percent increase in physical activity levels among family members, disaggregated by key characteristics. (Directly evaluates behavior change across subgroups)
  • Percent reduction in gaps in family physical activity participation between different groups. (Measures improvements in health outcomes)

Note. When looking at your ESMs, SPMs, or other strategies:

  1. Move from measuring quantity to quality.
  2. Move from measuring effort to effect.
  3. Quadrant 1 strategies should be used sparingly, when no other data exists.
  4. The most effective measurement combines strategies in all levels, with most in Quadrants 2 and 4.

Learn More. Read how to create stronger ESMs and how to measure ESM impact more meaningfully through Results-Based Accountability.

References

1 Hingle MD, Turner T, Going S, Ussery C, Roe DJ, Saboda K, Kutob R, Stump C. Feasibility of a family-focused YMCA-based diabetes prevention program in youth: The E.P.I.C. Kids (Encourage, Practice, and Inspire Change) Study. Preventative Medicine Reports. 2019;14:100840.

2 Rhodes RE, Blanchard CM, Quinlan A, Naylor PJ, Warburton DER. Family physical activity planning and child physical activity outcomes: A randomized trial. American Journal of Preventative Medicine. 2019;57(2):135-144.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy, $3.5 M. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.