Catch Up on Relevant HOST Research

Make sure you haven't missed any of these research papers by HOST members:

• "Uptake of National AfterSchool Association physical activity standards among US after-school sites," in Preventative Medicine (December 2014): HOST authors Jean L. Wiecha, Georgia Hall, and Michelle Barnes describe their study of schools' awareness and implementation of the five physical activity standards that the NAA adopted in 2011.
• "Crossing the Bridge to Physical Activity in Out-of-School-Time Programs," in Preventative Medicine (October 2014): HOST authors Jean L. Wiecha, Jennifer Hofman, Michael W. Beets, Amy Rauworth, Natalie Colabianchi, Anne Ferree, and Georgia Hall note some of the challenges associated with implementing physical activity in out-of-school-time programs. Going forward, they say, the adoption of physical activity standards offers opportunities for research on their implementation and impact.
• "The Role of Out-of-School Time in Reducing Hunger and Preventing Obesity," in Afterschool Matters, Fall 2014: HOST authors Daniel W. Hatcher, Crystal Weedall FitzSimons, and Jill R. Turley explain that one in three children in this country is overweight or obese. One in five children lives in food-insecure households that struggle to put food on the table. Both problems affect millions of children, can occur in the same child at the same time, and are linked to poor academic performance, behavior problems, and high rates of school absenteeism.
• "Healthy Eating in Out-of-School Time: The Promise and the Challenge," Afterschool Matters, Spring 2012: NIOST researchers Jean L. Wiecha, Georgia Hall, Ellen Gannett, and Barbara Roth use qualitative research methods to explore healthy eating concepts among OST program administrators, examined their perception of the importance of the childhood obesity epidemic in relation to their mission, and explored perceived barriers to serving healthful foods and the potential utility of guidelines and other managerial supports in helping programs adopt healthy eating practices.