Translation of the connect through PLAY physical activity intervention for underserved youth from in-person to virtual delivery: a feasibility study

Afterschool "aftercare" programs (ASPs) have been recognized as critical settings to promote youth adequate daily physical activity (PA). However, several social and contextual challenges, especially faced by ASPs serving under-resourced schools/communities, inhibit youth from meeting PA goals, with the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbating these challenges. Connect through PLAY (CTPI) is a 16-week social-motivational PA intervention designed to increase PA in underserved youth (ages 9-16) by providing staff training and resources to overcome social-contextual challenges and integrate youth social-motivational needs into the PA programming of existing ASPs. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of translating the CTPI intervention into a virtual format during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, we know little about whether establishing a positive social-motivational climate is possible through a virtual format. The intervention included three components: (i) a novel PA curriculum, (ii) small group sessions, and (iii) staff health initiative. Youth and staff surveys were collected at baseline and endpoint to assess integration, acceptability, and potential effectiveness (longitudinal subsample n = 27 youth; 37% female; 36.1% Black/African American; Mage = 9.96 years). Paired sample t-tests indicated significant improvements in youth PA interest, cognitive engagement, regulatory motives, and PA participation, with medium to large effect sizes. Staff reported high acceptability and enthusiasm for continuing the intervention's virtual activities. Findings demonstrate that PA interventions focused on cultivating a positive social-motivational climate can be successfully adapted to virtual formats, providing valuable health promotion opportunities with greater reach to youth within under-resourced communities.