Physical activity stages of change surveillance data shows that the majority of keiki (children) in Hawaii are already active

Background: Childhood behavior surveillance including physical activity (PA) is not well represented in Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) jurisdictions. PA surveillance for these minority groups informs chronic disease and obesity prevention interventions. Stages of Change (SoC) of PA can further inform the targeting of these prevention interventions but no known SoC surveillance system exists for NHOPIs. Purpose: To determine the SoC of PA prevalence over 5 years in children from Hawaiʻi. Methods: Self-report surveys were collected from 5 cohorts of 3-6 grade students recruited from the A+ afterschool program in the state of Hawaiʻi. Chi-squared tests compared the prevalence levels of SoC of PA between the cohorts and genders. Results: SoC distribution for the 5 cohorts combined (n = 1726, 50.7% female) was: 7.5% in Precontemplation, 4.6% in Contemplation, 9.9% in Preparation, 33.4% in Action and 41.5% in Maintenance. There was no significant difference between cohort 1 and 2 (n = 258), χ2 (16) = 21.75, p = .15; cohort 2 and 3 (n = 129), χ2 (16) = 17.51, p = .35; cohort 3 and 4 (n = 171), χ2 (16) = 17.28, p = .77; and cohort 4 and 5 (n = 129), χ2 (16) = 17.51, p = .35; and genders (ps < .05). Conclusions : The majority of the participants were in the Action and Maintenance stage. Results suggest that disease prevention efforts should focus on maintaining PA levels in children for both boys and girls. Efforts for extending PA behavior surveillance systems for NHOPI children are warranted. Acknowledgement: This project was funded by Hawai‘i Medical Service Association (HMSA), an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association