Boston Collaboration for Youth Physical Activity

Harvard University: Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity

Topics:
Nutrition & Physical Activity for Youth

The center’s prior research, Play Across Boston, found differences in opportunities and participation in physical activity by gender, race, and ethnicity. For example, physical activity participation in youth sports and physical activity programs among boys and non-Hispanic white youth living in Boston are almost double that of the city’s girls and African-American and Hispanic youth respectively. Research also showed that the levels of physical activity program participation among Boston’s youth were substantially lower than that for youth in suburban neighborhoods. Play Across Boston continues to work with branches of city government and community organizations to support efforts aimed at reducing disparities in physical activity among Boston’s children and youth.

Since the release of the Play Across Boston data, the city of Boston created the Boston Center for Youth & Families (BCYF) with an emphasis on recreation to serve the city's youngest residents. A private foundation created the Boston Youth Sports Initiative to help increase recreational opportunities. Boston was also awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Steps to a HealthierUS) and the Kellogg Foundation recently funded the Boston Food and Fitness Collaborative.

Center researchers are determining the effects of these and other initiatives by interviewing key informants and the researchers are following up on a playground quality assessment conducted in some of Boston’s underserved neighborhoods. Of particular interest is improved walkability to parks and playgrounds for Boston’s youth.

 

Back to Research Projects