Introduction
As a Special Education Director, you are constantly seeking effective strategies to enhance the skills of practitioners within your district. The research article titled "Assessing the effectiveness of training models for national scale-up of an evidence-based nutrition and physical activity intervention: a group randomized trial" provides valuable insights into training models that can be implemented to improve nutrition and physical activity interventions. This blog will explore the outcomes of this research and how they can be applied to enhance practitioner skills.
Understanding the Research
The study conducted a 3-arm group-randomized trial to compare the effectiveness of in-person and online training models for scaling up an evidence-based nutrition and physical activity intervention. The intervention, known as the Out-of-school Nutrition and Physical Activity (OSNAP) initiative, aimed to improve children's physical activity and dietary habits in afterschool settings.
The trial involved 53 afterschool sites across three YMCA Associations, with one-third of the sites assigned to an in-person train-the-trainer model, another third to an online training model, and the remaining sites serving as controls. The primary outcome measured was the aggregate afterschool practice score, which assessed improvements in nutrition and physical activity practices.
Key Findings
- In-person training resulted in significant improvements, with sites achieving 0.44 additional goals compared to controls.
- Online training showed promising results, particularly in increasing the offering of fruits and vegetables, but did not achieve statistically significant improvements compared to controls.
- The cost per person trained was significantly lower for the online model ($336) compared to the in-person model ($678).
Implementing the Findings
For practitioners in the field of special education and online therapy, these findings offer a roadmap for enhancing skills and implementing effective interventions:
- Adopt a Hybrid Training Approach: Combining in-person and online training can maximize the benefits of both models, offering flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
- Focus on Key Goals: Prioritize goals that showed significant improvements, such as increasing water and fruit/vegetable offerings, to drive impactful changes.
- Leverage Cost-Effective Solutions: Utilize online training to reach geographically dispersed practitioners, ensuring broader access to training resources.
Encouraging Further Research
While the study provides valuable insights, further research is essential to refine training models and explore additional strategies for scaling up interventions. Practitioners are encouraged to engage in ongoing research and collaboration to continuously improve intervention outcomes.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Assessing the effectiveness of training models for national scale-up of an evidence-based nutrition and physical activity intervention: a group randomized trial.
