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A study examined perceptions of 136 middle school teachers of African American males' aggression, achievement, and need for special education services based on cultural movement styles. Teachers perceived students with African American movement styles as lower in achievement, higher in aggression, and more likely to need special education services. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Describes "Safe Routes to School" efforts in the United States and other countries to make walking and biking to school the transportation of choice. Offers a plan of action for formulating and carrying out such a program and information on funding sources. (EV)

Used kinematic measures to compare relative contributions of growing body dimensions, age, and walking experience in walking skill development in 9- to 17-month-olds, kindergartners, and college students. Found that with increased age, size, and experience, children's steps became longer, narrower, straighter, and more consistent, reflecting a narrower base of support and increasing control over the path of progression. Experience was a stronger predictor of skill improvement than was age. (Author/KB)

Assessed data from the 1998 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to determine the prevalence of walking for physical activity and the proportions of walkers who met current public health physical activity recommendations. Results indicated that in 1998, approximately 38.6 percent of U.S. adults walked for physical activity. Less than 40 percent of walkers complied through walking with even the most liberal of physical activity patterns. (SM)

Two experiments tested infants' sensitivity to properties of point-light displays of a walker and a runner that were equivalent regarding the phasing of limb movements. Found that 3-, but not 5-month-olds, discriminated these displays. When the symmetrical phase-patterning of the runner display was perturbed by advancing two of its limbs by 25 percent of the gait cycle, both groups discriminated the walker display from the new phase- shifted runner display. (Author/KB)

Examined choices made by adolescent girls in physical education classes when allowed to select from nine walking activities reflecting four themes (social, exercise/fitness, game-like, or competition). Students were significantly more likely to choose social over exercise/fitness activities, game-like or competitive over exercise/fitness activities, social over game-like activities, and game-like over competitive activities. (SM)

Developed a cardiorespiratory endurance test that retained the inherent advantages of submaximal testing while eliminating reliance on heart rate measurement in predicting maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). College students completed three exercise tests. The 1.5-mile endurance test predicted VO2max from submaximal exercise without requiring heart rate measurement or all-out running, also allowing participants to self-select the most appropriate exercise mode. (SM)

Thirty-eight people with visual impairments learned a 483-meter novel route through a university campus in four groups: verbalization, modeling, pointing, and control. The performance of all four groups improved with greater experience of the route, but the modeling group improved more than the control group. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Compared the effects of different patterns of regular brisk walking on fitness, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and psychological well-being in previously sedentary adults. Data on adults who completed either short-bout or long-bout walking programs found that three short bouts of brisk walking accumulated throughout the day were as effective as one continuous bout of equal total duration in reducing cardiovascular risk and improving aspects of mood. (SM)

Examined the physical activity and exercise habits of independent-living older adults from a structured exercise program, noting the contribution of formal and informal exercise participation relative to total daily physical activity measured using pedometer and daily activity logs. Participation in structured exercise was an important contributor to total physical activity and the only source of resistance and flexibility training, despite frequent walking for exercise outside of class. (SM)

The biomechanical characteristics of the ankle during gait of 17 participants with Down syndrome (ages 8-36) were investigated. Participants showed significant decreases of plantar-flexor moments and of A1 and A2 joint powers. Correlation between kinetic and temporal spatial parameters was markedly reduced or weak in comparison to 10 controls. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Evaluated the effectiveness of a physical activity log and a pedometer with respect to responsiveness to change in a walking program. Obese and sedentary adults monitored their physical activity over time using both methods concurrently. The log did not detect increases in physical activity that were detected by pedometer. The pedometer was simple to use and detected increased physical activity. (SM)

Describes "walking office hours," an activity in which students (n=64) in introductory health topics and human resources management classes each took a one-half hour walk with the professor around the campus. In both classes students unanimously reported higher "comfort levels" with the instructor following the walk. (DB)

Maintains that McGraw conducted a more complex analysis of neurobehavior than acknowledged by those characterizing her position as maturationist; that she advanced a unique analysis of brain development and consciousness, singling out the reciprocal relationship between neural growth processes and early experience; and that her studies of the role of gravity, inhibition, and judgment in integrating behavior remain pertinent. (Author/KB)

Reexamines McGraw's research and theoretical principles on early neuromotor development, focusing on unaided walking. Notes that contemporary research supports and clarifies her observations providing greater detail about factors involved in the formation of higher-order control, and amplifying the role of experience. Discusses possible mechanisms underlying the cognitive transition at the end of the first year. (Author/KB)

Discusses how McGraw's work broached the notion of a reciprocal relationship between structural maturation and function, thus anticipating the current understanding of the role of experience in the cortical and motor maturation of infants in the first year of postnatal life. Also presents her clear formulation of a flexible critical period concept as consonant with current understanding. (Author/KB)

Introduces this special journal issue re-examining the contributions of Myrtle McGraw to developmental psychology in order to clarify misinterpretations of her work and to highlight dimensions that constitute promising lines of inquiry for contemporary researchers. Maintains that McGraw failed to receive credit for her alternative to reflexological and maturational perspectives because her work was interpreted within Gesell's theoretical framework. (Author/KB)

This article examines the theoretical foundations of the Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE) Curriculum, which is designed to teach sitting, standing, and walking skills to students with physical disabilities. By incorporating natural environment, functional activities, scaffolding, and partial participation, the curriculum enables students to achieve greater independence. (Author/CR)

The effects of two levels of exercise (walking versus jogging) in suppressing the self-stimulatory behavior during academic programming of a 5-year-old boy with autism were examined. Decreased physical self-stimulation and "out of seat" behavior were found only for the jogging condition. Sharp reductions in these behaviors did not return to baseline over a 40-minute period. (Author/DB)

Children who hate gym grow into adults who associate physical activity with ridicule and humiliation. Physical education is reinventing itself, stressing enjoyable activities that continue into adulthood: aerobic dance, weight training, fitness walking, mountain biking, hiking, inline skating, karate, rock-climbing, and canoeing. Cooperative, small-group activities work best. (MLH)

To determine whether trails on visitor maps should indicate distance only or include "time to complete," Cleveland Metroparks interviewed 287 adult visitors to a large regional zoo. The mean perceived "average time to walk a mile" was 17 minutes, but responses ranged from 1.5 to 60 minutes. Half of respondents underestimated the time needed. (SV)

Ways to establish neighborhood walkways--pedestrian areas close to residences and linked to conservation and recreation values--are suggested. Ideas include establishing an advisory team and planning groups, sponsoring community walks, installing route markers, and creating walking guides. (CB)

Public health, city planning, and transportation officials can work toward reducing the public health burden of physical inactivity by promoting the integration of walking and bicycling into daily routines. The paper discusses urban design challenges, promotion of walking and bicycling, and the importance of physical activity for children. Proposed strategies for encouraging public health through walking and bicycling are presented. (SM)