Results from the Australian Government’s Active After-school Communities (AASC) program research have indicated that more inactive children are becoming involved in sport and physical activity than in previous years.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) appointed Newspoll to conduct an independent evaluation of the AASC program in 2009, 2010 and 2011, following on from previous evaluation work from 2005 to 2008.

The evaluation process aims to assess the effectiveness of program delivery and the impact it is having on children’s participation in sport and physical activity and local communities.

The 2009–10 evaluation reports indicated that first-time AASC participants are less likely to be physically active and members of sport clubs when compared to the Australian general population.

The AASC program is also proving successful in decreasing sedentary activity in the hours immediately after school. Almost all participating children were attending the AASC program at least once per week. According to their parents, approximately half of participating children at school sites would have been doing something sedentary if they were not taking part in the AASC program.

Furthermore, although more than half the children participating in the AASC program at a school had alternative structured physical activity available to them in their community, the majority would not have participated in those activities. In total, nine in ten children participating in the AASC program were engaging in after-school structured physical activity they would not otherwise have been doing.

Deputy General Manager of the AASC program, Kitty Chiller, said the results are promising but there is still work to be done.

‘We are continually looking to improve in every area of the program including staff and coach training; establishing links with local clubs, state and national sporting organisations; and implementing strategies to target inactive children,’ Chiller said.

‘By sourcing feedback from parents, community coaches, AASC program staff and schools and out of school hours care service representatives, we can continually monitor the success of the program in achieving its primary objectives.’

Annual program monitoring is being repeated in 2011, with a renewed emphasis on understanding the factors that impact on the transition of participating children to sporting clubs. Research conducted in 2011 will be reported on in 2012.

View a summary of findings and the final Newspoll evaluation reports.