Afterschool Rx 2.0: Prescriptions to Afterschool Care for Pediatric Cardiovascular Risk Reduction (ARx)

Augusta University

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Cardiovascular Risk Factor

Treatments: Behavioral: Voucher for Afterschool Care

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07096167

Career Development Award (Other Grant/Funding Number)

25CDA1451733 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

IRBNet ID 2316862

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if "prescribing" afterschool care to children at risk for poor heart health later in life increases their physical activity and improves their heart health. 'Prescriptions' will be provided by pediatricians at participating Federally Qualified Health Centers and vouchers to existing afterschool programs (e.g., YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs) will be provided by the research study. The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Can afterschool care providers and health care providers easily offer and keep using the voucher program?

Will families use the voucher? Do they go to afterschool care regularly, and do the families who use them represent a wide range or backgrounds?

Does going to afterschool care help children be more physical activity?

Does going to afterschool care improve heart health?

Researchers will compare two randomly assigned time periods; one semester when families get the voucher and one semester where they do not. They will look at whether use of the afterschool care voucher leads to more physical activity and improved heart health.

Enrollment: 48 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 5 to 11 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• A child must be entering 1st-4th grade when recruited (i.e., 5-11 years old)
• A child must have one or more cardiovascular risk factors as identified by a clinical care provider (i.e., obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia)
• Attend an elementary school patterned with a participating afterschool program
• Belong to a family at or below 250% of the federal poverty level
• The participating parent/guardian must have a phone that accepts text messages

Exclusion criteria

• If the child does not meet the inclusion criteria for attending the participating afterschool programs (e.g., children that require specially trained staff to safely provide care),
• If the child is pregnant
• If it is unsafe for the child to participate in any of the study measures as determined by their clinical care provider (i.e., can not safely complete a 6-min walk test or finger stick)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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48 participants in 2 patient groups

AB Group (Intervention in Fall)

Other group

Description:

Voucher for afterschool care and enrollment assistance provided in the fall semester, no intervention is provided in the spring semester

Treatment:

Behavioral: Voucher for Afterschool Care

BA Group (Intervention in Spring)

Other group

Description:

No afterschool voucher or enrollment assistance provided in the fall semester but is provided in the spring semester

Treatment:

Behavioral: Voucher for Afterschool Care