Search

BACKGROUND: Little is known about children's leisure-time physical activity (PA) at school and how it is associated with contextual variables. The purpose of this study was to objectively assess children's voluntary PA during 3 daily periods and examine modifiable contextual factors. METHODS: We conducted SOPLAY (System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth) observations before school, during recess, and at lunchtime in 137 targeted activity areas in 13 elementary schools over 18 months. During observations, each child was coded as Sedentary, Walking, or Vigorous, and simultaneous entries were made for area characteristics (accessibility, usability, presence of supervision, loose equipment, and organized activities). Logistic regression analysis was used to test associations between PA and area characteristics. RESULTS: Assessors made 2349 area visits and observed 36,995 children. Boys had more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; 66.2 vs 60.0%, p < .001) and more vigorous PA (29.8 vs 24.6%; p < .001) than girls. Areas were typically accessible and usable, but provided organized activities infrequently (16.5%). Odds of engaging in MVPA were greater during lunch and recess than before school and in areas with play equipment (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Children accrued a substantial amount of voluntary PA during leisure time at school. Their PA would likely be increased if school playground equipment was more readily available and if supervisors were taught to provide active games and promote PA rather than suppress it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: One way to address childhood obesity is to create outlets for children to engage in physical activity. Schools are well equipped to provide an active environment. However, some school boards and administrators are concerned about liability risks. This study describes the legal rules applicable to potential claims against public schools during recreational use of school grounds and facilities. METHODS: Using traditional legal methods including the use of legal databases and treatises, the legal rules from 50 states were surveyed to determine what type of liability schools face when opening their grounds for after-school recreational use. RESULTS: Schools would, at most, be held to a reasonable standard of care, under which a person would be found liable if he did not act prudently in a given set of circumstances. This standard is no more onerous than that applied to most activities in the United States. Schools in many states, including California, also receive the benefit of governmental immunity. Furthermore, 21 states have recreational use statutes, which result in more lenient liability rules for injuries during recreational use of school facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Public schools in most states can be subject to liability in certain cases arising out of recreational use of their facilities. However, schools have important defenses. In combination with empirical research about liability in other contexts, this survey suggests that liability risks are unlikely to justify the denial of recreational access to children who are at risk of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The increased prevalence in recent childhood obesity rates raises concern about youth health and the role that lack of physical activity plays in this trend. A focus on how children today choose to spend their discretionary time is one approach that may yield ideas for how to reduce childhood obesity. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether 3 separate recess activities of the week (RAWs) would make a difference in children's discretionary time physical activity levels. METHODS: Children (N = 65: 30 boys, 35 girls; 32 first and second graders; 33 third and fourth graders; 45 healthy body mass index [BMI], 20 overweight BMI) at 1 Midwest elementary school wore pedometers for each 15-minute morning recess period for 4 weeks. Following 1 no RAW (#1), a new RAW was introduced each subsequent week: #2, circuit course; #3, obstacle course; and #4, Frisbees. RESULTS: Repeated measures factorial analysis of variance results revealed that children were significantly more active during the no RAW and circuit course week than the Frisbee week. Males were significantly more physically active than females during the obstacle course week. Older children were significantly more active during the Frisbee week than younger children. Healthy BMI children were significantly more physically active during the circuit course week than children in the overweight/obese BMI category. CONCLUSIONS: Results imply that it is important for schools to consider demographic factors in the creation of recess opportunities to increase physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Schools can be an efficient venue for promoting physical activity (PA) among adolescents. Physical education (PE) requires investigation because it is a variable associated with adolescent PA levels and its existence in schools represents a significant opportunity for strategies to combat declining PA levels among this population. This article examines the between-school variability in student rates of PE enrollment among a large sample of high schools in Ontario, Canada, and identifies the school- and student-level characteristics associated with PE enrollment. METHODS: This cross-sectional study utilized self-reported school- and student-level data from administrators and students at 73 high schools. Students' enrollment in PE, demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial variables was linked to school environment data comprising of school demographics and administrator assessed quality of policies, facilities, and programs related to PA. Analysis involved multilevel modeling. RESULTS: The mean rate of PE enrollment among the 73 high schools was 62.4%, with rates by school ranging from 28.9% to 81.1%. When student demographics, behavioral, and psychosocial factors were controlled for, there was still a school effect for student PE enrollment. The school effect was explained by the provision of daily PE and school median household income. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to examine the extent to which PE enrollment varies between schools and to identify school factors associated with school variability in rates of PE enrollment. Although most variation in PE enrollment lies between students within schools, there is sufficient between-school variation to be of interest to practitioners and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: How adolescents spend their out-of-school time represents one of the most important factors for predicting positive youth development. Sport participation relates to many beneficial outcomes. However, current economic conditions threaten high school sport programs around the United States. This investigation examined relationships by year between sport participation and numerous health risk behaviors among high school students. METHODS: Data were derived from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveys administered every 2 years from 1999 through 2007. Items assessed were sport participation, vigorous physical activity, dietary habits, weight loss, sexual activity, interpersonal violence and suicidality, and substance use. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine relationships between sport participation and each health behavior. Interaction effects tested whether relationships varied by year, sex, age, and/or race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Analyses revealed some consistencies across years in relationships between sport participation and health risk behaviors for both sexes. However, most relationships varied by race/ethnicity. Among White students, sport participation related to multiple positive health behaviors. Conversely, African American, Hispanic, and Other athletes showed fewer positive health behaviors and some negative behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that participation in organized sports affords many health benefits to most adolescents, but relates to some negative health behaviors in certain subgroups. Information regarding sport participation and health risk behaviors among subgroups across years can inform school policy, practice, and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Professional sport organizations in the United States have notable celebrity status, and several teams have used this “star power” to collaborate with local school districts toward the goal of affecting children's health. Program effectiveness is unknown due to the absence of comprehensive evaluations for these initiatives. The Memphis Grizzlies, the city's National Basketball Association franchise, launched “Get Fit with the Grizzlies,” a 6-week, curricular addition focusing on nutrition and physical activity for the fourth and fifth grades in Memphis City Schools (MCS). The health-infused mini-unit was delivered by physical education teachers during their classes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the “Get Fit” program effectiveness. METHODS: Survey research was employed which measured health knowledge acquisition and health behavior change using a matched pre/posttest design in randomly chosen schools (n = 11) from all elementary schools in the MCS system (N = 110). The total number of matched pre/posttests (n = 888) equaled approximately 5% of the total fourth-/fifth-grade population. McNemar's test for significance (p < .05) was applied. Odds ratios were calculated for each question. RESULTS: Analyses confirmed that there was significant health knowledge acquisition (7 of 8 questions) with odds ratios confirming moderate to strong associations. Seven out of 10 health behavior change questions significantly improved after intervention, whereas odds ratios indicated a low level of association after intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This community-school-home initiative using a professional team's celebrity platform within a certain locale is largely overlooked by school districts and should be considered as a positive strategy to confront childhood obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Community-based prevention marketing (CBPM) is a program planning framework that blends community-organizing principles with a social marketing mind-set to design, implement, and evaluate public health interventions. A community coalition used CBPM to create a physical activity promotion program for tweens (youth 9–13 years of age) called VERB™ Summer Scorecard. Based on the national VERB™ media campaign, the program offered opportunities for tweens to try new types of physical activity during the summer months. METHODS: The VERB™ Summer Scorecard was implemented and monitored between 2004 and 2007 using the 9-step CBPM framework. Program performance was assessed through in-depth interviews and a school-based survey of youth. RESULTS: The CBPM process and principles used by school and community personnel to promote physical activity among tweens are presented. Observed declines may become less steep if school officials adopt a marketing mind-set to encourage youth physical activity: deemphasizing health benefits but promoting activity as something fun that fosters spending time with friends while trying and mastering new skills. CONCLUSIONS: Community-based programs can augment and provide continuity to school-based prevention programs to increase physical activity among tweens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In general, schools are an important setting to implement current recommendations for obesity prevention in children because the vast majority of children attend school. This study investigated the opinions of different school stakeholders on the feasibility and acceptability of current obesity prevention strategies that could be implemented in Swiss schools. METHODS: Research methods were comprised of a qualitative study which included school directors, physical education teachers, catering staff, school nurses and health educators, parents of young adolescents, and young adolescents interviewed (N = 40) categorized into 6 focus groups. Open-ended questions were used to determine the participants' opinion regarding current obesity prevention recommendations, and healthy eating and physical activity promotion strategies. RESULTS: All participants approved the implementation of nutritional standards for food and drinks sold in schools, but thought that increasing the attractiveness of healthy options was the best strategy to improve eating habits. Enjoying participation in physical activity classes or after-school activities was stressed. Participants suggested offering classes for all students with poor physical condition, independent of weight status. Stakeholders called for governmental support and global coordination of interventions balanced with providing schools with enough autonomy to adapt programs relevant to their individual circumstances. They recommended integrating all school stakeholders in obesity prevention initiatives, with special attention to students and local authorities. CONCLUSIONS: Participants agreed that schools are a crucial setting to implement childhood obesity prevention strategies. They called on school stakeholders to join efforts aiming to encourage healthy behaviors and to support and reinforce parents' efforts by spreading consistent and coherent health messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found that higher physical activity levels are associated with greater academic achievement among students. However, it remains unclear whether associations are due to the physical activity itself or sports team participation, which may involve requirements for maintaining certain grades, for example. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between sports team participation, physical activity, and academic outcomes in middle and high school students. METHODS: Data were drawn from Project EAT (Eating Among Teens), a survey of middle and high school students (n = 4746). Students self-reported their weekly hours of physical activity, sports team participation, and academic letter grades. Two statistical models were considered: first, 2 separate regression analyses with grade point average (GPA) as the outcome and either sports team participation or physical activity as the predictor; second, a single regression with GPA as the outcome and both sports team participation and physical activity as the simultaneous predictors. RESULTS: For high school girls, both physical activity and sports team participation were each independently associated with a higher GPA. For high school boys, only sports team participation was independently associated with a higher GPA. For middle school students, the positive association between physical activity and GPA could not be separated from the relationship between sports team participation and a higher GPA. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of whether academic success was related to the physical activity itself or to participation on sports teams, findings indicated positive associations between physical activity involvement and academic achievement among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a significant health problem among today's youth; however, most school-based prevention programs in this area have had limited success. Focus groups were conducted with seventh- to eighth-grade students, parents, and teachers to provide insight into the development of a comprehensive program for the prevention of adolescent obesity: the Teen Eating and Activity Mentoring in Schools project (TEAMS). METHODS: Questions addressed (1) beliefs about the relationship between early adolescent behavior and health; (2) early adolescents' physical activity habits, preferences, influences, and barriers; (3) early adolescents' dietary habits, preferences, influences, and barriers; and (4) recommendations for interventions to promote physical activity and healthy eating in early adolescence. RESULTS: Qualitative analyses revealed that early adolescents had a good understanding of the relationship between their behavior and their health, although they had a limited understanding of what constitutes healthy eating. Youth participants reported preferences for a number of healthy foods and physical activities, but identified numerous barriers preventing their engagement. The major difference between students, parents, and teachers reflected the operation of the fundamental attribution error with early adolescents attributing their unhealthy behaviors to situational factors, teachers blaming parents, and parents blaming their children. CONCLUSIONS: Implications of these findings for the development of school-based, integrated strategies for obesity prevention among early adolescents are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Despite the numerous physiological, psychological, and academic benefits of physical activity (PA), declines in PA levels among girls have been observed over the last decade. The purpose of this preliminary study was to assess the short-term changes pertaining to Girls on the Run and Girls on Track developmentally focused youth sport programs (DYS) on global self-esteem, body image, commitment to PA, and PA frequency. METHODS: This preliminary study employed a nonexperimental, one-group, pre- and postintervention study design using a 29-item paper-and-pencil assessment tool (n = 1034). RESULTS: Paired sample t-tests from pre- to postintervention revealed statistically significant differences in self-esteem (p < .001), body size satisfaction (p < .001), and vigorous PA frequency (p < .001). Stratification by the number of times participating in the intervention revealed the greatest changes at first participation followed with continued improvements in self-esteem (p = .013) and body size satisfaction (p < .001) for those participating in a second time. Age differences were also observed between participants ≤10 years old and 11–15 years; in that significant improvements in commitment to PA (p = .003) were observed for the older girls. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest DYS programs Girls on the Run and Girls on Track may produce beneficial changes in self-esteem, body size satisfaction, PA commitment, and PA frequency. Although the findings from the current report are preliminary, they suggest that DYS programs designed exclusively for girls may provide the necessary framework to promote PA to achieve the numerous associated benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about pre-pubescent Filipino children’s involvement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). There are international guidelines regarding required levels of MVPA for healthy children. Methods: This study describes participation of 11- to 12-year-olds in randomly selected public and private schools in San Juan, Metromanila, in MVPA and sports during a school day. The Filipino-modified Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (F_PAQ_C) was administered in English and Filipino. Additional data was collected on sex, age, type of school, and amount of time spent using television and computers. Children’s self-assessment of physical activities (1 question in the F_PAQ_C) was correlated with their cumulative F_PAQ_C score. Results: Three hundred eighty subjects (167 boys, 213 girls) participated. Participation in MVPA varied between sex and age groups, from 56.1% to 65.0%. Fewer than 10% of participants were very active. The children were more active during physical education classes than at recess or lunch, after class, or in the evening. Walking for exercise, jumping, jogging and running, free play, and dance were most common. Boys, younger children, and private school students most commonly engaged in MVPA. Self-assessed physical activity had modest correlation ( r2= 0.21) with cumulative F_PAQ_C score, after adjusting for sex, age, and school type. Conclusion: Most children were not physically active during the school day, except in physical education classes. To reduce the gap between recommended and current activity levels, more opportunities should be provided for preteen Filipino children to engage in MVPA during and after school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is rapidly becoming the most common chronic medical condition affecting children. To address this crisis, an Albuquerque, New Mexico, elementary school partnered with University of New Mexico researchers and conducted a Walking School Bus (WSB). The purpose of this article is to examine the feasibility of implementing a WSB. Methods: This pilot study featured 2 WSBs conducted for 10 weeks with kindergarten through fifth-grade students from a predominantly Hispanic elementary school. Qualitative and quantitative data, including coordinator field notes, attendance records, surveys of student and parent satisfaction, and a focus group, were used to evaluate feasibility. Results: Student and adult participants expressed a high degree of enthusiasm regarding their involvement in the WSB. Participants uniformly indicated that the WSB provided a supportive and safe environment to promote social interaction and physical activity. Conducting a WSB in an urban, underserved school district is feasible but requires attention to ensure participants’ involvement and safety. In particular, it is recommended to begin the planning process early to enhance investment from key stakeholders. Conclusion: Effective, low-cost interventions are increasingly desired as solutions to the problem of obesity. The WSB has emerged as a promising strategy to address obesity and encourage partnerships across different social levels. Further research is necessary to assess the logistical challenges associated with conducting a large-scale WSB trial and whether such efforts lead to reductions in obesity risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: School environments may promote or hinder physical activity in young people. The purpose of this research was to examine relationships between school recreational environments and adolescent physical activity. Methods: Using multilevel logistic regression, data from 7638 grade 6 to 10 students from 154 schools who participated in the 2005/06 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Survey were analyzed. Individual and cumulative effects of school policies, varsity and intramural athletics, presence and condition of fields, and condition of gymnasiums on students’ self-reported physical activity (≥2 h/wk vs <2 h/wk) were examined. Results: Moderate gradients in physical activity were observed according to number of recreational features and opportunities. Overall, students at schools with more recreational features and opportunities reported higher rates of class-time and free-time physical activity; this was strongest among high school students. Boys’ rates of class-time physical activity were 1.53 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12-1.80) times as high at high schools with the most recreational features as at schools with the fewest. Similarly, girls’ rates of free-time physical activity at school were 1.62 (95% CI: 0.96-2.21) times as high at high schools with the most opportunities and facilities as compared to schools with the fewest. Modest associations were observed between individual school characteristics and class-time and free-time physical activity. Conclusions: Taken together, the cumulative effect of school recreational features may be more important than any one characteristic individually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: School-based study recruitment efforts are both time consuming and challenging. This paper highlights the recruitment strategies employed by the national, multisite Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG), a study designed to measure the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce the decline of physical activity levels among middle school–aged girls. TAAG provided a unique opportunity to recruit large cohorts of randomly sampled girls within 36 diverse middle schools across the United States. Methods: Key elements of the formative planning, coordination, and design of TAAG’s recruitment efforts included flexibility, tailoring, and the use of incentives. Various barriers, including a natural disaster, political tension, and district regulations, were encountered throughout the recruitment process, but coordinated strategies and frequent communication between the 6 TAAG sites were helpful in tailoring the recruitment process at the 36 intervention and control schools. Results: Progressively refined recruitment strategies and specific attention to the target audience of middle school girls resulted in overall study recruitment rates of 80%, 85%, and 89%, for the baseline, posttest, and follow-up period, respectively. Discussion: The steady increase in recruitment rates over time is attributed to an emphasis on successful strategies and a willingness to modify less successful methods. Open and consistent communication, an increasingly coordinated recruitment strategy, interactive recruitment presentations, and participant incentives resulted in an effective recruitment campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicide ranks as the third leading cause of death for adolescents. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that the adolescent suicide rate increased 18% between 2003 and 2004. Sport may represent a promising protective factor against adolescent suicide. This study examined the relative risk of hopelessness and suicidality associated with physical activity and sport participation. Methods: Data from the CDC’s 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey were analyzed. Logistic regression modeling was used to compare the odds of hopelessness and suicidality in students who engaged in various levels of physical activity to inactive students. Similar analyses were performed comparing risks of athletes to nonathletes, and the risks of highly involved athletes to nonathletes. Results: Findings showed that frequent, vigorous activity reduced the risk of hopelessness and suicidality among male adolescents. However, low levels of activity actually increased the risk of feeling hopeless among young females. Yet, for both males and females, sport participation protected against hopelessness and suicidality. Conclusion: These findings indicate that involvement in sport confers unique psychosocial benefits that protect adolescents against suicidality. Findings suggest that mechanisms other than physical activity contribute to the protective association between sport and reduced suicidality. Social support and integration may account for some of the differences found in suicidality between athletes and nonathletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Millions of young children attend preschools and other structured child development programs, but little is known about their physical activity levels while in those settings. The purpose of this study was to describe the physical activity levels and demographic and school-related correlates of physical activity in children attending preschools, using a direct observation measurement system. Methods: The Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool Version was used to measure physical activity levels and related factors in four hundred ninety-three 3- to 5-year-old children in 24 preschools. A minimum of six hundred 30-second observation intervals were recorded for each child. Physical (height/weight) and demographic data also were collected. Results: Children engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during less than 3% of the observation intervals and were sedentary during more than 80% of the observation intervals. Boys were more likely than girls to engage in MVPA (p = .01), and 3-year-old boys were more active than 4- and 5-year-old boys (p = .01). The preschool that a child attended explained 27% of the variance in activity levels. Conclusions: The study indicates that young children are physically inactive during most of their time in preschool. The preschool that a child attended was a stronger predictor of physical activity level than any other factor examined. Additional research is needed to identify the characteristics of preschools in which children are more active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examines the results of federal legislation on the content and quality of policies written in 2005-2006 by Utah school districts (n = 30). Methods: Policies were gathered by phone call requests to school districts or obtained on district Web pages. Content was compared to requirements outlined in the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act (CNRA) of 2004 and recommendations made by a state coalition of health and education agencies. The strength of the language was assessed (mandate vs recommendation), and characteristics of school districts that adopted strong policies were identified. Results: The majority of Utah school districts (78%) complied with the federal guidelines, and a variety of state recommended nutrition and physical activity policy statements were included. The strength of the language used in the policies revealed that districts were more likely to mandate items already required by other entities or well established in the district. School districts with high participation in free- and reduced-price programs had significantly more mandatory policies (mean = 9.2) versus low (mean = 7.1) and medium enrollment (mean = 4.7). Urban school districts were more likely to indicate mandatory competitive food policies than rural and suburban (mean = 2.3 vs 0.93, 0.83). There were no differences in policy language between school districts based on race or size. Conclusions: Compliance with the CNRA may be a positive step toward improving the school nutrition and physical activity environment, but it does not ensure a comprehensive or powerful policy. Schools and community partners must continue to work together to strengthen wellness policies and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine Ohio parents’ perceptions of the role of elementary schools in preventing childhood overweight. In the United States, overweight is the most widespread health threat facing children and adolescents. Schools may be a useful point of intervention in addressing the escalating prevalence of childhood overweight because children spend over half their day at school. A questionnaire was developed based primarily on the School Health Index, a tool developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help schools assess and improve their physical activity, healthy eating, tobacco use prevention, and safety policies and programs. Seven hundred surveys were sent to a random sample of Ohio parents of elementary school-aged children. This study (53% response rate) found that the majority (51-73%) of parents identified 14 items as very important in preventing childhood overweight, which is indicative of their support for these curricular topics within the elementary school. All items from the physical education component had less than 50% of the parents identifying these items as very important. The item that was least supported (16%) by the parents was measuring a child’s body mass index. The majority (51%) of parents indicated their preference for elementary students’ access to vending machines only if they contained nutritious foods and beverages, while 42% of parents preferred that elementary students should not be allowed access to vending machines at all. The findings from this study suggest that Ohio parents would be supportive of school-based interventions focusing on healthy eating, physical activity, and the school environment to help reduce the prevalence of overweight in elementary children. (J Sch Health. 2006;76(10):502-511) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine children’s physical activity during recess and outside of school. Third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students (N = 270; 121 boys, age = 9.5 ± 0.9 years; 150 girls, age = 9.6 ± 0.9 years) wore sealed pedometers during a 15-minute recess period and outside of school for 4 consecutive school days. A factorial analysis of variance (grade by gender) was used to examine differences among grades and between genders for the following variables: recess activity time (RAT), recess step counts (RSC), out-of-school activity time (OAT), and out-of-school step counts (OSC). For all outcome variables, there were no significant interactions between grade and gender and no significant main effect for grade. A significant main effect for gender (F1,264= 73.1, p < .001) indicated that boys accumulated more RSC and OSC than girls (1268 ± 341 vs 914 ± 261 and 7229 ± 2877 vs 5808 ± 2059, respectively) and more RAT and OAT than girls (11.7 ± 2.4 vs 9.4 ± 2.2 and 77.3 ± 28 vs 67.4 ± 21, respectively). Boys spent 78% and girls spent 63% of their recess time engaged in physical activity. Outside of school, girls spent 20% and boys spent 25% of their time engaged in physical activity. RAT comprised 14% and 16% of total discretionary activity time for girls and boys, respectively. Boys in this study are more active during discretionary time periods compared to girls. Study participants spent the majority of their recess time engaged in physical activity. (J Sch Health. 2006;76(10):516-520) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-based programs offer an efficient means of promoting the health of a large number of children. The Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program was designed to decrease risk factors for chronic disease in elementary school children and includes separate coordinated interventions for child nutrition services, physical education (PE), classroom instruction, and family education. Physical education specialists who attended CATCH training during school years 2000-2003 were surveyed about CATCH PE at their respective schools. The survey included items pertaining to PE barriers, implementation and satisfaction of CATCH PE, and demographic characteristics. A serial cross-sectional study design was used; response rates were 58.6% in 2000, 20.9% in 2001, 38.7% in 2002, and 57.7% in 2003. The top two rank order barriers to quality PE were large class size and low academic value. Future research should focus on determining characteristics of schools that are achieving quality PE programs. (J Sch Health. 2005;75(8):313-319) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]