467 - Parent Perspectives on Improving Out-of-School Activities in Low-Income Black and Latinx Communities

Poster Number: 467
Publication Number: 467.82

Background: Participating in out-of-school activities, such as afterschool programs, is associated with improved physical and mental health. Yet, children who are low-income and/or identify as Black, Latinx, or Indigenous are less likely to engage in such activities compared to children who identify as White, Asian, and/or live in a high-income household. Disparities have persisted despite efforts to reduce participation barriers.

Objective: To describe parent perspectives on out-of-school activities to understand how to enhance family engagement, especially in low-income Black and Latinx communities.

Design/Methods: We recruited parents through a large urban parks and recreation department located in Los Angeles County (LAC) and two community-based organizations who provide services primarily to low-income Black and Latinx residents in LAC. We conducted semi-structed English or Spanish interviews with parents of children ages 6-17 about the impact of activities on families, experiences making it difficult or easier for their child to be involved, and recommendations to meet their needs and facilitate family engagement. We coded the interviews using Dedoose and then performed thematic analysis.

Results: We completed 34 interviews (17 English, 17 Spanish) (Table 1). Parents had the following central ideas about out-of-school activities: (1) they were motivated by the opportunity for these activities to support families and promote healthy development for their child to thrive; (2) activities must create a safe environment and promote a sense of belonging for all families; and (3) service delivery changes reduced barriers for families, but activities often remained inaccessible (Table 2). Barriers varied across organizations and locations, but included lack of awareness about low-cost options, online enrollment, financial costs, waitlists, program timing, inaccessible parks/pools, safety, inconsistent quality of coaching/instruction, few opportunities for family members to participate together, stigma, and a desire for more inclusive practices around race, culture, language, gender, children with special needs, and parent involvement. Parents recommended specific strategies to increase engagement (Table 3). Per one parent, “it’s important to build community pride in our children. If these services are not offered in our community, that sense of community is going to be lost, we need to invest in them.”

Conclusion(s): Involving parents in optimizing out-of-school activities may improve access, uptake, and quality of these health-promoting activities in low-income Black and Latinx communities.