Evidence Based Practice

1. Evidence Based Practice James Busser, Ph.D. Professor and Ph.D. Program Director University of Nevada, Las Vegas

2. What is Evidence-Based Practice? • Use of current best evidence in making decisions about the provision of facilities, programs and services. • Integrate professional expertise and participant and community needs with the best available external evidence from systematic research.

3. Research to Practice • Recognition in the parks and recreation field • Continuous movement to close gap • IPRA webinars • Temple workshop • American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration

4. AAPRA • Non-profit educational organization created in 1980 by 50 founding members • Advance knowledge • Encourage scholarly efforts • Promote broader public understanding • Conduct research • Provide services • Academy membership • 15 years of high level administration or recognized educator • Membership limited to 125 practicing professionals

5. Journal of Park & Recreation Administration • Official publication of AAPRA launched in 1983 • Established to bridge the gap between research and practice for administrators, educators, consultants, and researchers. • Publishes distinguished original manuscripts that: • Moves theoretical management concepts forward in the field; and • Provides clear implications of theory and research for problem solving and action in park and recreation organizations

6. Journal of Park & Recreation Administration • Two sections to the journal • Regular papers • Programs that work • Session objectives: • Acquire knowledge of recent research developments in the field • Analyze the findings from research to determine its applicability to practice • Examine needed opportunities for research in the field

7. Regular Paper • Facilitating Healthier Food Environments in Public Recreation Facilities: Results of a Pilot Project in British Columbia, Canada • Rising rates of child and adult obesity • Decrease in lifespan (2-10 years) • Limits life quality • Increases health care costs (25%) • Development of chronic diseases – Type II diabetes 60 times more likely

8. Food Environments • Supporting positive nutrition choices in public buildings increasingly important in BC • Recreation facilities lacking nutritional choices for patrons but willingness of staff to change situation • Healthy Food and Beverage Sales in Recreation Facilities and Local Government Buildings initiative (HFBS) • Planning, technical resources, training, seed money to enhance the promotion and sale of healthy food in publicly funded recreation centers

9. Food Environments

10. Food Results • Grant report reviews • Goals varied: changing vending contracts, modifying concession offerings, reviewing program and event food service, policy development, conduct awareness campaign • 86% of goals were achieved • Facility assessment: 19% improvement • Vending Audit: 19% increase in healthy products • Patron Survey: 15% increase in healthy options for purchase

11. Food Environment • Implications for practice • Support from local decision makers, recreation managers, food suppliers, staff, patrons essential • Enhance stakeholder buy-in – facility data, presentations • Dedicate resources • Monitor process • Be prepared to deal with contracts, lack of suitable products, potential revenue loss • Provide on-going training and support for staff. • HFBS toolkit (assessments, presentations) available at: www.stayactiveeathealthy.ca

12. Regular Paper • Effects of Asynchronous Music on Physical Activity of Youth in Supervised Recreation Activities • Problem: • Childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years. • Obesity linked to cardiovascular risk factors • Cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes • Increased likelihood to continue in adulthood • One solution • Physical activity provides a protective effects on health risks even if individuals remain overweight or obese. • Inactivity growing problem - <1/3 of H.S students meet 1 hr/day physical activity recommendation; media use among ages 8-18 consumes 7 hours, 38 minutes per day • Socio-ecological model • Music – asynchronous music effects mood, physical activity

13. Asynchronous Music • Research question: Does modifying the environment with music increase physical activity • Youth grades 2-5, measurements of physical activity across 4 days with 4-40 minute treatment conditions • Indoor free play with & without music • Outdoor free play with & without music • Typical recreation center gear (e.g., kickballs, jump ropes) • ActiGraph most widely used motion sensor

14. Music Results • On average, children were significantly more active when music was played • Total minutes of moderate and vigorous activity higher with music • Grades 2-4 increased physical activity, 5th grade decreased • No gender or ethnic differences

15. Music Implications • Physical environment key determinant of physical activity • Asynchronous music may be included with little financial investment • Music as a means to increase physical activity levels is likely transferrable to widespread populations • Incorporating music may have lasting physical activity adherence

16. Regular Paper • Good Youth Sports: Using Benefits-Based Programming to Increase Sportsmanship • Negative behavior in youth sports spanning verbal and physical assault by athletes, coaches, officials, & parents • 20M+ youth registered in sports each year but the majority discontinue by age 13. • Positive experiences – good sportsmanship - foster continued involvement and reinforce the benefits of active healthy living.

17. Sportsmanship • Benefits-based program approach • Prosocial behavior – positive forms of social behavior that are voluntary, not motivated by personal obligations, and have positive results • Design program (treatment) to promote prosocial behavior • Coaches meeting – posting of sportsmanship, feedback each week • Referees called technical fouls liberally for sportsmanship violations by athletes, coaches, spectators • Social following each game – selection of best sportsmanship player by opposing team, received certificate

18. Sportsmanship Results • Game observers recorded positive/negative sportsmanship behaviors • Fun-o-meter • Control group (not benefits based) displayed lower levels of positive sportsmanship and higher levels of negative sportsmanship. • Treatment group resulted in two benefits of the league: sportsmanship and fun • The effects were stronger for 5&6 grades compared to 3&4 grades

19. SMS Implications • Implications: • Validated benefits based programming • Applicable to all youth sport programs • Advertise outcomes • Design time more than offset by ease of league administration • Staff remarked on the reduction of angry parents • Limited resources make a difference

20. Regular Paper • The impact of post-program reflection on recreation program outcomes • Reflection has long been considered an integral component of recreation experiences. • Triggered by memory, memento, pictures, conversation long after the experience took place. • Develop, implement, and evaluate programs focusing mainly on the participant phase (outcomes) without considering the pre and post program phases • Post-program reflection linked to adolescent identity development, self-assessment, transfer of learning to other contexts

21. Post-Program Reflection • Study: adolescents in a 2-week international experiential education and cultural immersion activities culminating in a community service project (e.g., restoring nature center); adults facilitated event • Data collected during the preparation phase (2), during the program, and two moths after the program • Interviews, focus groups, field notes, surveys (end of program)

22. Post-Program Results • “I think post-program reflection is a really important part because if you don’t do much after the program, then you are not going to remember this very much. When you can pull together a whole bunch of people who were in the program together, they are sharing memories, so you have a greater chance of remembering it and the experience” • Higher post-program reflection associated with increases in environmental knowledge, environmental attitudes and behavior as well as teamwork

23. Post-Program Implications • Practical Implications • Post-program reflection may have an influence on program outcomes • Impact of the experience may be sustained longer • Potential further engagement, repeat participants • Incorporate intentional steps for post-program reflection • Study used postcards written and sent a few months later • Determine ability to engage in post-program reflection • Skill necessary – e.g., journaling a reflective approach to record feelings and insights

24. Programs That Work • Assessing the cost-effectiveness of a community rail-trail in achieving physical activity gains • CDC recommends increasing physical activity in community recreation programs through the introduction, expansion or improvement of places. • Research demonstrates that parks and recreation providers can motivate greater physical activity through infrastructure such as walking and biking trails • Rail-trails have emerged as an especially important setting • 2010 – 1,683 rail-trails open spanning 19,872 miles; 721 in development consisting 9,232 miles • Trail use positively impact physical activity especially in new exercisers

25. Cost Effectiveness • Purpose: • Assess cost effectiveness of two trails by comparing the land acquisition, site preparation, construction, and annual maintenance and marketing costs with 1) community users becoming more physically active due to the trail; 2) community user newly active due to the trail; and 3) community users meeting physical activity recommendations due to the trail • Findings • 109K annual uses; 22% previously did not exercise regularly; 60% increased exercise as a result of trail; 46% walked, 29% bicycled; 47% met physical activity recommendations through trail use • Cost outlays compared very favorably with other approaches to physical activity/lifestyle interventions that impact far fewer individuals • Quality design, maintenance, and marketing keys to effectiveness

26. Programs That Work • Keeping Up with the Digital Generation: Practitioner Perspectives • Today’s youth labeled the digital generation • Youth average 11 hours of media exposure per day • 75% own cell phone, 1/3 send 300+ text messages per day, 93% regularly use internet with 73% using social media • Negative outcomes: video game addiction, lower academic performance and life satisfaction scores, exposure to detrimental experiences (bullying) • Positive outcomes: develop identities, become civically engaged, geo caching may increase outdoor PA • Little known about practitioners’ attitudes toward and programmatic use of technology

27. Digital Divide Results • Practitioner Perceptions on Youth and Technology • Keeping current critical to communicating with youth • However, 68% felt gap in skill level with youth made it more difficult to connect with youth • Recognition of negative implications (22%) bullying, rumoring, gang activity, drug solicitation, texting rather than face to face communication • Practitioner Use of Technology • Information dissemination – online calendars, newsletters, video conferencing, electronic medial records, needs assessments • Use of facebook, twitter, my space, Ning, and Edmodo • Outside expertise for support and hiring of social media person

28. Digital Divide Results • Educational Enrichment • Support educational endeavors through homework assistance (e.g., computer games for math), information gathering/research/sharing (e.g., online libraries, Google Scholar), creative writing (e.g., blogs, collaborative writing forums) • Specific Programming Initiatives • Technology as a way to facilitate collaborative activities • Google Docs – free online document sharing/collaboration utility allow youth to work together in different locations • Promote youth voice • Use of Flip video to record and post activities online • GPS technology • Community mapping to assess walkability of neighborhoods • Skill Development • Digital Connectors Program (14-21), web page design, online financial literacy and leadership, creating mobile apps, becoming certified in CISCO IT Essentials

29. Digital Divide Results • Program Policies • Addressing technology as distraction and potential theft • Not permitted during program hours • Limited use policy – down times • Privileged or conditional – appropriate use • Enforcement difficult • Future Research • Develop and assess the impact of technology assisted programming • Technology as any other programmatic tool needs to be intentionally designed and implemented

30. Conclusion • Journal of Park and Recreation Administration • New Developments • Online and searchable by author, date, topic • Upcoming special issues • Designing and managing experiences • Leisure across the lifespan • Video addendum • Training and development case studies

31. References • •Abildso, C. (in press). Assessing the cost-effectiveness of a community rail-trail in achieving physical activity gains. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. • •Basset, J. (2011). The effects of asynchronous music on the physical activities of youth in supervised recreation activities. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 29(1), 80-97. • •Duerden, M. D. (2012). Keeping up with the digital generation: Practitioner Perspectives. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, • •Duerden, M., D.(2012). The impact of post-program reflection on recreation program outcomes. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 30(1), 36-50. • •Naylor, P. J. (2010). Facilitating healthier food environments in public recreation facilities: Results of a pilot project in British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 28(4), 37-58. • •Wells, M. (2008). Good (youth) sports: Using benefits-based programming to increase sportsmanship. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 26(1), 1-21.