Active Kids Evaluation Report 2018-2019; Executive Summary

Abstract

This summary presents evaluation findings from the SPRINTER independent evaluation of the Active Kids program. Data are presented from the first 2 years of program delivery (2018 and 2019). Active Kids, the first universal voucher program of its kind in Australia, is an innovative approach to promoting participation in structured physical activity and sport outside of school among all school-enrolled children in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Evaluation of the program was designed to help us understand the extent to which a universal voucher program can reach and engage children in structured physical activity and sport. The evaluation affords a unique opportunity to learn more about influencing the physical activity and sport participation behaviours of children in NSW, the factors that affect participation and to understand health and well-being outcomes associated with participation. These population-level program evaluation data have not previously been collected throughout the sport sector. This evaluation also makes an important contribution to the evidence base on how, effectively, to design and implement complex, at-scale program evaluations, underpinned by evidence and reported in a way that is readily accessible and appropriate for policy makers and practitioners. SPRINTER are a specialist academic research group within the Charles Perkins Centre and the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney. In 2016, SPRINTER established a policy-focused partnership with the NSW Government Office of Sport. SPRINTER led the independent design and evaluation of the Active Kids program whilst also influencing data capture within the registration process for the Active Kids program led by the NSW Government - Service NSW and Office of Sport. The evaluation of Active Kids is registered with the Australian and New Zealand clinical trials registry: ACTRN12618001148268. The evaluation protocol was designed using the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist. A complete outline of the evaluation protocol can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp30122006 . This evaluation received ethics approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Sydney (Project number: 2017/947). This executive summary provides a synopsis of key evaluation findings from the Logic model (Figure 1) and additional SPRINTER research outcomes. ‘At-a-glance’ snapshots provide a summary of the important information relevant for each priority group . Collectively, these data inform evidence-based recommendations.