Developmental trajectories of physical activity during elementary school physical education

ObjectivePhysical education (PE) during school provides an opportunity for children to be physically active. Few empirical studies have investigated developmental trajectories and determinants of objective moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during PE classes. The purpose of this study was to examine the developmental trajectories and determinants of MVPA during PE lessons in young children (8–12 years of age) in primary schools.MethodsStudents in grades 5–7 (n = 1202; 51.2% girls) were recruited from 17 elementary schools from the Geneva canton in 2012–2013. The percentage of time spent in accelerometer-assessed MVPA during regular PE lessons was used as a dependent variable.ResultsLinear mixed-model analyses revealed (a) that boys had a higher percentage of MVPA than girls, but none of the children reached the recommended activity levels (i.e., 50% of the PE class time spent in MVPA), (b) a linear decrease in the percentage of MVPA with age, (c) that higher perceived competence predicted a higher percentage of MVPA, and (d) that higher perceived competence reduced the negative linear effect of age among boys, but not among girls.ConclusionThe percentage of PE time spent in MVPA did not reach recommendations made by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and decreased from 8 to 12 years old both for boys and girls. Perceived competence appears crucial to reduce MVPA decline for boys, but not for girls.     

'Physical education makes you fit and healthy'. Physical education's contribution to young people's physical activity levels

The purpose of this study was to assess physical activity levels during high school physical education lessons. The data were considered in relation to recommended levels of physical activity to ascertain whether or not physical education can be effective in helping young people meet health-related goals. Sixty-two boys and 60 girls (aged 11-14 years) wore heart rate telemeters during physical education lessons. Percentages of lesson time spent in moderate-and-vigorous (MVPA) and vigorous intensity physical activity (VPA) were recorded for each student. Students engaged in MVPA and VPA for 34.3 +/- 21.8 and 8.3 +/- 11.1% of lesson time, respectively. This equated to 17.5 +/- 12.9 (MVPA) and 3.9 +/- 5.3 (VPA) min. Boys participated in MVPA for 39.4 +/- 19.1% of lesson time compared to the girls (29.1 +/- 23.4%; P < 0.01). High-ability students were more active than the average- and low-ability students. Students participated in most MVPA during team games (43.2 +/- 19.5%; P < 0.01), while the least MVPA was observed during movement activities (22.2 +/- 20.0%). Physical education may make a more significant contribution to young people's regular physical activity participation if lessons are planned and delivered with MVPA goals in mind.     

Can we skill and activate children through primary school physical education lessons? "Move it Groove it"--a collaborative health promotion intervention

BACKGROUND: Physical education (PE) lessons are an ideal setting to improve child fundamental movement skills (FMSs) and increase physical activity (PA) for optimal health. Despite this, few studies have assessed the potential to do both simultaneously. The "Move It Groove It" primary school intervention in New South Wales, Australia, had this opportunity. METHODS: A whole school approach to implementation included establishment of school project teams, a teacher "buddy" system, project Web site, teacher training workshops, and small grants for equipment. The quasi-experimental evaluation involved 1,045 year 3 and 4 children (aged 7 to 10 years) in nine intervention and nine control rural primary schools (53% boys/47% girls). It utilised pre- and postobservational surveys of (1) mastery or near mastery levels for each of eight FMSs, (2) proportion of PE lesson time spent in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and vigorous PA (VPA), and (3) teacher- and lesson-related contextual covariates. Data were analysed by hierarchical logistic multiple regression. RESULTS: For FMSs, overall mastery or near mastery level at baseline was 47% ranging from 22.7% for the overarm throw among girls to 75.4% for the static balance among boys. The intervention delivered substantial improvements in every FMS for both genders ranging from 7.2% to 25.7% (13 of 16 comparisons were significant). For PA level, mean MVPA at baseline was 34.7%. Baseline MVPA for boys was 38.7% and for girls was 33.2%. The intervention was associated with a nonsignificant 4.5% increase in MVPA and a significant 3.0% increase in VPA. This translates to a gain of <1 minute of MVPA per average 21-minute lesson. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to show that by modifying existing PE lessons, significant improvements in FMS mastery can be gained without adversely affecting children's MVPA and VPA. To increase PA levels, we recommend increasing the number of PE lessons per week.     

Physical activity of German children during different segments of the school day

Aim

This study objectively investigated the amount and intensity of German primary school children’s physical activity (PA) during different segments of the school day and explored the contribution of physical education (PE) and break times to daily moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA).

Subject and methods

PA of 294 children (7.1?±?0.7 years, 48 % male) was objectively measured for 6 days using Actiheart®. Based on children’s timetables, break times and PE periods were determined and PA was calculated individually and subsequently classified in light (1.5–3 MET), moderate (3–6 MET) and vigorous (>6 MET) intensities. Weight status was determined during a school visit.

Results

Children spent 133?±?61 min in MVPA; on weekdays, this amount increased significantly (141?±?66 min, p?≤?0.01). 45.9 % of children reached physical activity guidelines of 60 min of MVPA daily, with boys achieving this goal significantly more often than girls (65.6 vs. 28.7 %, respectively; p?≤?0.01). PE lessons and break times accounted for 15?±?13 min (12.7 %) and 7?±?6 min (5.8 %) of daily MVPA, respectively. On days with PE, children spent 144?±?68 min in MVPA, whereas on days without PE, this time decreased significantly to 122?±?63 min (p?≤?0.01).

Conclusion

The findings suggest that segments such as PE lessons and morning breaks are important sources for MVPA for boys and girls. This should therefore be considered for policies, timetables and curriculums in order to offer sufficient opportunities for children to be physically active during the school day.

     

Tri-axial accelerometer-assessed physical activity and its association with weight status in a sample of elementary-school children

Background and aimsObjective assessment of physical activity (PA) using accelerometers and pedometers has become more accurate and common practice in the study of childhood overweight. The study aimed: i) to compare PA levels and body shape of boys and girls, and assess compliance of active children with the PA recommendation; ii) to analyse associations between the risk of overweight and the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children.MethodsThe sample comprised 395 children (198 girls) aged 6–10 years. Height and weight were measured, and BMI was calculated subsequently. A tri-axial accelerometer was used to obtain seven consecutive days of MVPA, as well as the weekly time being sedentary. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the afore-mentioned relationship among the risk of obesity and MVPA, controlling for confounders.ResultsAfter controlling for wearing time, boys spent significantly more minutes in the moderate-to-vigorous portion of PA than their female counterparts. About 47% of boys were active on week days by achieve the mean value of 60 min/day of MVPA; corresponding percentage for the weekend was just 32%. Among girls, only 22% were active on week days and 29% at the weekend. MVPA was not significantly associated with the risk of being overweight nor in female neither in male children. The final regression model revealed that girls of mothers with high educational level were less likely to be classified as overweight girls.ConclusionsFindings revealed no significantly relation between MVPA and obesity risk among Portuguese children. Future research should extend similar design to other lifestyle features of children to clarify potential predictors of being overweight at early ages.     

Activity compensation and activity synergy in British 8-13 year olds

ObjectivesTo examine whether children compensate for participating in physically active behaviors by reducing activity at other times (the ‘activitystat’ hypothesis); or alternatively become more active at other times (activity synergy).MethodsIn 2002–2006, 345 British children (8–13 years) completed activity diaries and wore accelerometers. This generated 1077 days of data which we analyzed between-children (comparing all days) and within-child (comparing days from the same child).ResultsOn week and weekend days, each extra 1% of time in PE/games, school breaks, school active travel, non-school active travel, structured sports and out-of-home play predicted a 0.21 to 0.60% increase in the proportion of the day in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). None of these behaviors showed evidence of reduced MVPA at other times, i.e. activity compensation (all p >0.15). Moreover, each 1% increase in weekday non-school active travel predicted 0.38% more time in MVPA at other times (95% CI 0.18, 0.58). This activity synergy reflected children using active travel for playing and visiting friends.ConclusionsContrary to the ‘activitystat’ hypothesis, we found no evidence of activity compensation. This suggests that interventions increasing activity in specific behaviors may increase activity overall. The activity synergy of non-school active travel underlines the need for further research into this neglected behavior.     

The Potential and Reality of Physical Education in Controlling Overweight and Obesity

Although preventing youth overweight and obesity is a public health priority, quality physical education (PE) is marginalized in practice. In May 2014, we estimated energy expenditure (EE; derived from PE frequency, duration, and intensity; mean student mass; and class size) from national recommendations and data from the 19 US states with PE duration guidelines, under 3 scenarios: potential (quality PE, defined as 50% moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]), reality (MVPA = 35%), and classroom instruction only. Students in schools following nationally recommended PE standards from grades 1 through 10 could expend from 35 000 to 90 000 more kilocalories than students who received classroom instruction instead. PE''s potential for increasing student EE will only be realized with stronger school policies and increased accountability.The prevalence of overweight and obesity among school-aged youths in the United States remains high.1 Of particular concern is that obesity in childhood tracks into adulthood and is associated with a host of chronic morbidities.2 Although most of these diseases typically are not manifest until adulthood (e.g., stroke, cancer), the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome during childhood is increasing.3 Prevention of overweight and obesity among youths requires that energy expenditure (EE) exceed energy intake. Engaging in physical activity (PA) is a widely accepted approach to preventing and treating childhood obesity, and 2008 United States Physical Activity Guidelines, published by the US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS), recommends that youths engage in at least 60 minutes of mostly moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) daily.2Schools have long been identified as important venues for the provision of PA, especially during physical education (PE) classes.4,5 PE, a mandated curriculum area in 43 states for elementary grades, 41 for middle schools, and 44 for high schools,6 includes substantial amounts of PA during class time and is considered a public health resource for combating and preventing overweight and obesity.4–10 Although numerous health organizations and publications, including Healthy People 2020,11 recommend daily PE, only 19 of 50 states reported having policies identifying the frequency of delivery and specific number of minutes for PE.6 Of these states, only 5 reported having these policies at all 3 levels of primary and secondary school. A 2012 Institute of Medicine report, Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation, identified requiring school PE as a key strategy for obesity prevention in the United States.7 Analyses of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study showed that PE reduced body mass index among first-grade girls who were overweight or at risk for overweight in kindergarten8 and reduced the probability of obesity among fifth-grade boys.9Recently, the Institute of Medicine recommended an average daily dose of 30 minutes (elementary school) and 45 minutes (middle and high school) of activity per PE lesson that is composed of at least 50% MVPA.10 Although some PE lessons surpass the 50% MVPA criterion, researchers have demonstrated that most fall short of this mark. Fairclough and Stratton reviewed 44 studies of elementary school PE and found that children averaged 37.4% (±15.7%) of lesson time in MVPA (mean = 12.6 min MVPA/lesson; 21.0% of USDHHS total daily guidelines).12 Fairclough and Stratton also reviewed 40 studies of middle and high schools and found that students averaged 27.7% to 46.8% of PE time in MVPA, depending in part on the method of assessment.13 These authors did not report mean lesson length, but at the recommended 45 minutes per lesson at the secondary level,10 students on average could have accumulated between 12.5 and 21.1 MVPA minutes (20.8% and 35.1% of USDHHS total daily guidelines, respectively).Although PE has many objectives (e.g., physical fitness; motor skills; cognitive, social, and emotional development), not all of which require engaging in PA during lesson time, many medical and professional communities consider sufficient MVPA to be a useful proxy for PE quality.14,15 This approach has yielded positive changes in professional development policy, as reported in the School Health Policies and Practices Study 2012.16 Between 2000 and 2012, the percentage of states that funded or provided professional development for teachers to learn methods to improve MVPA during PE increased from 28.0% to 66.7%. Despite this positive trend, only Idaho specifies the percentage of a lesson to be spent in MVPA (i.e., 33% in grades K–5; 50% in grades 6–12), and only Texas specifies required minutes of a lesson in MVPA (30 min/d for grades K–8).17 Carlson et al. noted that no policy addressed funding or enforcement; that policy was not uniform across states, within school levels, and within states across school levels; and that only Idaho specified a means for objectively evaluating whether MVPA goals were met.17Lesson frequency and length, percentage of lesson time in MVPA, and steps per minute have all been used to define PE policy for quantity and quality. These metrics, however, do not readily reveal the potential public health impact that PE has on controlling childhood overweight and obesity.9In public health forums, EE is frequently expressed in METs (metabolic equivalents of task) and MET hours, and in the PE context, 4.5 METs have been equated with MVPA.18 Bassett et al. computed a weighted mean EE of 1.70 MET hours gained per day for studies where PE was a mandatory policy.19 This mean value equates to a gain of 23 minutes of MVPA per day (38.3% of USDHHS guidelines) versus no PE. Although this latter metric may be more comprehensible to practitioners than a MET-based one, it still provides only derivative information about EE. We used the Bassett et al. data,19 along with the mean weights of children in elementary, middle, and high school, and calculated that children in middle school (98 kcal/day) and high school (121 kcal/day) PE could surpass the additional caloric expenditure of 64 kilocalories per day deemed necessary to reach overall youth obesity prevalence targets by 2020.20 These predicted EE estimates provide a useful starting point for discussion, but they are based on a limited number of large-scale interventions that do not reflect the potential or real impact of existing PE policy on EE.We aimed to quantify the potential caloric impact of quality PE (i.e., at 50% MVPA) on the estimated EE of individual students and classes under conditions (frequency, duration, class size) recommended by professionals and by those states that have education policies mandating number of minutes for PE. We also compared estimated EE under these conditions to calculations derived from (1) data from studies where the intensity of PA was observed during PE lessons (i.e., the reality) and (2) estimations of student EE if they spent equivalent periods in classroom activities instead of PE.     

北京市某初中1～2年级学生在校身体活动水平定量评估

目的定量测量北京市初中1～2年级学生在校期间(尤其是体育课上)的身体活动水平。方法选取北京市某初中1～2年级学生81名(男生37人,女生44人),用佩戴于髋关节的ActiGraph GT3X+型加速度计记录一周5d在校期间身体活动,评价平均每天和每节体育课上的身体活动水平。结果在校期间,平均每天参加中高强度活动时间女生为(47.2±16.0)min,男生为(67.3±20.5)min,女生显著低于男生(P<0.01);体育课上达到中高强度活动的时间比例男生平均为53.6%±10.2%,女生为35.2%±7.2%;不同BMI学生在校期间身体活动水平比较:平均每天身体活动水平男女各组间均无差异;体育课上,女生各组间无差异;与正常BMI组男生相比,消瘦、超重和肥胖组男生较高强度活动时间较短(P<0.05)。结论初中1～2年级女生身体活动强度较低;体育课对促进学生在校期间的身体活动有重要贡献,体育课日学生身体活动明显增加;体育课上,正常体重男生身体活动量最高。     

北京西城区高一学生校内体力活动评估

了解北京市西城区高中生校内不同强度体力活动情况,为学校采取措施促进学生体力活动提供客观依据.方法 抽取北京市西城区的一类、二类和三类高中各2所,每所高中随机抽取健康高一学生40名,共采集有效样本208人(男生102名,女生106名).使用ActiGraph GT3X+加速度计,记录并分析学生1周在校期间体力活动水平.结果 在校期间,女生静坐少动时间高于男生,低强度体力活动(LPA)和中等强度至较大强度体力活动(MVPA)时间均低于男生(P值均<0.01),体育课也显示出相同的情况.三类高中学生在校期间静坐少动行为占比高于一类和二类高中学生,而MVPA总时间占比较低(P值均<0.05).在体育课中,男女生平均分别有13,19 min处于静坐少动状态,15,10 min进行MVPA.本研究中受试者均未能达到体力活动指南所推荐的“每天参与至少60 min中高强度运动”的目标.结论 女生体力活动水平低于男生,体育课中学生用于中高强度运动的时间偏少,一类和二类学校学生在校期间体力活动水平整体高于三类学校学生.     

Physical activity levels of children in special schools

Objective.Children's physical activity (PA) has been studied extensively, but little information is available on those with disabilities. We sought to examine the PA of children with disabilities during physical education (PE) and recess while simultaneously documenting environmental conditions.Method.Five schools designed for students with four types of special needs (physical disability, mild intellectual disability, hearing impairment, and visual impairment) participated. We used the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) to code the PA of children in grades 4 to 6 during both PE and recess and to document teacher behavior and lesson context in PE. Observations were conducted during 2 school days over a 2-week period.Results.Children accrued little moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during PE (7.8 min) and recess (8.9 min). Activity levels varied across disability types, with differences attributed to lesson context and teacher behavior. Children with physical disabilities were the least active during both PE and recess.Conclusions.Children with disabilities accrue little PA at school. Increased PE frequency and lesson intensity, more PA opportunities during non-structured school time, and collaborations with home and community agencies are needed to reach PA recommendations.     

Physical activity levels and sedentary time during school hours of 6th-grade girls in Germany

Aim

Regular physical activity and low levels of sedentary time have positive health effects on youth, and data are needed to base public health recommendations on. Here, findings of device-based physical activity and sedentary time in sixth graders are presented. Data below are presented as mean (SD).

Subject and methods

Three hundred and eight sixth-grade girls [11.6 (0.6) years] from the CReActivity study in Germany wore accelerometers (ActiGraph GT3X) for 7 consecutive days. Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light physical activity (LPA), and sedentary time (ST) was obtained during school days with a focus on recess times.

Results

Girls spent 79.9 (23.2) minutes in MVPA and 9.4 (1.2) hours in ST during schooldays, of which 20.5 (8.2) minutes and 3.8 (0.4) hours respectively were accumulated during school hours. On average, students had 35.4 (4.5) minutes break, of which 6.3 (3.2) minutes (17.8%) were spent in MVPA activity and 16.5 (6.2) minutes (46.6%) in ST.

Conclusion

School setting is an important factor for physical activity and sedentary time. Therefore policy, curriculums, and school environment should promote physical activity und reduce sedentary time during school hours.

     

Facility provision in elementary schools: Correlates with physical education,recess, and obesity

ObjectivesThe objectives were to: (1) document correlations among facility provision (availability and adequacy) in elementary schools, child sociodemographic factors, and school characteristics nationwide; and (2) investigate whether facility provision is associated with physical education (PE) time, recess time, and obesity trajectory.MethodsThe analytic sample included 8935 fifth graders from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey Kindergarten Cohort. School teachers and administrators were surveyed about facility provision, PE, and recess time in April 2004. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions that accounted for the nesting of children within schools were used.ResultsChildren from disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to attend a school with worse gymnasium and playground provision. Gymnasium availability was associated with an additional 8.3 min overall and at least an additional 25 min of PE per week for schools in humid climate zones. These figures represent 10.8 and 32.5%, respectively, of the average time spent in PE. No significant findings were obtained for gymnasium and playground adequacy in relation to PE and recess time, and facility provision in relation to obesity trajectory.ConclusionsPoor facility provision is a potential barrier for school physical activity programs and facility provision is lower in schools that most need them: urban, high minority, and high enrollment schools.     

Maximizing children's physical activity using the LET US Play principles

BackgroundStaff in settings that care for children struggle to implement standards designed to promote moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), suggesting a need for effective strategies to maximize the amount of time children spend in MVPA during scheduled PA opportunities. The purpose of this study was to compare the MVPA children accumulate during commonly played games delivered in their traditional format versus games modified according to the LET US Play principles.MethodsChildren (K–5th) participated in 1-hour PA sessions delivered on non-consecutive days (summer 2014). Using a randomized, counterbalanced design, one of the six games was played for 20 min using either traditional rules or LET US Play followed by the other strategy with a 10 min break in between. Physical activity was measured via accelerometry. Repeated-measures, mixed-effects regression models were used to estimate differences in percent of time spent sedentary and in MVPA.ResultsA total of 267 children (age 7.5 years, 43% female, 29% African American) participated in 50, 1-hour activity sessions. Games incorporating LET US Play elicited more MVPA from both boys and girls compared to the same games with traditional rules. For boys and girls, the largest MVPA difference occurred during tag games (+ 20.3%). The largest reduction in the percent of time sedentary occurred during tag games (boys − 27.7%, girls − 32.4%). Overall, the percentage of children meeting 50% time in MVPA increased in four games (+ 18.7% to + 53.1%).ConclusionLET US Play led to greater accumulation of MVPA for boys and girls, and can increase the percent of children attaining the 50% of time in MVPA standard.     

Elementary school practices and children's objectively measured physical activity during school

Objective

To examine the relation of physical activity practices covering physical education (PE), recess, and classroom time in elementary schools to children's objectively measured physical activity during school.

Methods

Participants were 172 children from 97 elementary schools in the San Diego, CA and Seattle, WA USA regions recruited in 2009–2010. Children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during school was assessed via accelerometry, and school practices were assessed via survey of school informants. Multivariate linear mixed models were adjusted for participant demographics and unstandardized regression coefficients are reported. The 5 practices with the strongest associations with physical activity were combined into an index to investigate additive effects of these practices on children's MVPA.

Results

Providing ≥ 100 min/week of PE (B = 6.7 more min/day; p = .049), having ≤ 75 students/supervisor in recess (B = 6.4 fewer min/day; p = .031), and having a PE teacher (B = 5.8 more min/day; p = .089) were related to children's MVPA during school. Children at schools with 4 of the 5 practices in the index had 20 more min/day of MVPA during school than children at schools with 0 or 1 of the 5 practices (p < .001).

Conclusions

The presence of multiple school physical activity practices doubled children's physical activity during school.     

Long-term implementation of the CATCH physical education program.

To test the effectiveness of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) program, a randomized trial was conducted in 96 elementary schools in four regions of the United States. Results from the original trial indicated a significant positive effect on the delivery of physical education (PE). All 56 former intervention schools (FI), 20 randomly selected former control schools (FC), and 12 newly selected unexposed control schools (UC) were assessed 5 years postintervention. Results indicate a strong secular trend of increasing moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in PE classes among both FC and UC schools. The FI schools surpassed the Healthy People 2010 goal for MVPA during PE lesson time (i.e., 50%), whereas the FC and UC schools came close to it. Barriers to implementing CATCH PE included insufficient training and lower importance of PE compared to other academic areas and indicate the need for in-service training.     

中国儿童青少年体力活动现状的Meta分析

系统评价近10年内应用加速度计客观测量的中国儿童青少年中高强度体力活动(moderate-to-vigorous physical activity,MVPA)水平及静态行为(sedentary behavior,SB),为中国儿童青少年体力活动干预及公共卫生决策提供可靠的基线数据.方法 通过Web of Science、SPORTDiscus、中国知网数据库检索2009年1月1日至2019年2月28日中国儿童青少年体力活动及静态行为相关的文献.依据基于PICOS原则制定的文献纳入和排除标准严格筛选文献.采用基于STROBE声明修订的文献质量评价表对文献质量进行评价.提取MVPA、SB时间等数据资料并应用CMA V2软件进行Meta分析.结果 共16篇文献(2012-2019年)进入Meta分析,样本量范围为96~2 163.Meta分析结果表明,中国儿童青少年日均MVPA时间为37.66 min/d,SB时间为539.61 min/d;男生MVPA高于女生(P<0.01);上学日的MVPA、SB均高于周末(P值均<0.05).结论 中国儿童青少年中高强度体力活动不足,静态行为较多;女孩中高强度体力活动尤其不足,上学日的中高强度体力活动时间及静态行为时间均高于周末日.     

Effects of the CATCH physical education intervention: teacher type and lesson location.

BACKGROUND: Substantial differences exist in how and where physical education (PE) is conducted in elementary schools throughout the United States. Few effectiveness studies of large-scale interventions to improve PE have been reported. DESIGN: Multicenter randomized trial. SETTING/ PARTICIPANTS: The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) was implemented in PE classes in 96 schools (56 intervention, 40 control) in four study centers: California, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Texas. INTERVENTION: The 2.5-year PE intervention consisted of professional development sessions, curricula, and follow-up consultations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intervention effects on student physical activity and lesson context in PE were examined by teacher type (PE specialists and classroom teachers) and lesson location (indoors and outdoors). RESULTS: Differential effects by teacher type and lesson location were evidenced for both physical activity and lesson context. Observations of 2016 lessons showed that intervention schools provided more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (p=0.002) and vigorous physical activity (p=0.02) than controls. Classroom teachers improved physical activity relatively more than PE specialists, but PE specialists still provided longer lessons and more physical activity. Classroom teachers increased lesson length (p=0.02) and time for physical fitness (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The intervention improved PE of both specialists' and classroom teachers' lessons. States and districts should ensure that the most qualified staff teaches PE. Interventions need to be tailored to meet local needs and conditions, including teacher type and location of lessons.     

Investigating links between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and cognitive performance in elementary school students

BackgroundResearch has noted both physical and psychological benefits when children participate in physical activity. Recent studies indicate there may also be academic benefits and students may be more efficient learners after physical activity. This study investigated the influence of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on four cognitive processes: planning, attention, simultaneous processing, and successive processing.MethodsParticipants were two classes of fourth-grade students in Ontario (n = 40). Using a counterbalanced design, students in the two classes completed standardized tests for each cognitive process both after no physical activity and following it (20 min MVPA within a 45 min lesson).ResultsThe results indicate that performance on the planning test significantly improved after physical activity (p < 0.001), controlling for sequence and habituation/retesting effects. No improvement was observed for attention, simultaneous processing, or successive processing.ConclusionPlanning is associated with problem solving skills and behaviour self-regulation. These skills may be improved in elementary school students immediately following physical activity.     

Breaking tradition: Increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time of children with developmental disabilities

BackgroundChildren with developmental disabilities (DD) are less active and more sedentary than their typically developing peers. There is a lack of research exploring strategies to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary time in children with DD.Objective/HypothesisThe purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time of children with DD attending a summer day camp in modified versus traditional physical activity sessions. It was hypothesized that youth with DD would spend a greater amount of time in MVPA and less time sedentary during modified compared to traditional activity sessions.MethodsFifty-two children (mean age 11.5 years, 84% male, 81% non-Hispanic white, 90% DD diagnosis) attending a specialized summer day camp participated in counterbalanced physical activity sessions for 8 weeks receiving either games/activities in their ‘traditional’ manner versus a modified approach. The modified approach incorporated a physical activity promotion strategy with a social narrative. Repeated measures mixed-effects regression models were used to estimate accelerometer-derived MVPA and sedentary time.ResultsChildren increased the percent of time spent in MVPA and reduced sedentary time in 3 out of the 4 modified physical activities compared to traditional activity physical sessions across (p < 0.05). Modified soccer and kickball presented the highest increase in MVPA (5.9, 95%CI: 2.9, 8.8%) and reduction in sedentary time (−8.9, 95%CI: −13.9, −4.0%), respectively.ConclusionModifying existing physical activities by combining a physical activity-promoting strategy with a social narrative is a promising approach to increase MVPA and reduce sedentary time in children with DD.     

Improving health-enhancing physical activity in girls' physical education

This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention to increase levels of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) during girls' physical education lessons. Two Year 7 classes (age 11-12 years) were randomly appointed to control and experimental groups. Both followed the same six-lesson unit of gymnastics with identical lesson objectives. The experimental class teacher included the additional objective of increasing MVPA during each lesson. MVPA was assessed in all six lessons using heart rate (HR) monitoring and systematic observation. After each lesson, students' intrinsic motivation and perceived competence were assessed, and the teachers evaluated whether they had met planned objectives. The experimental group engaged in more MVPA [F(1, 21) = 8.49, P = 0.008 (HR), t8 = -2.35, P = 0.048 (observation)] than the control group and also had most opportunities for skill practice (t8 = -2.81, P = 0.023). Intrinsic motivation and perceived competence levels were similar between the groups for each lesson, and teachers reported that lesson objectives were satisfactorily achieved. This intervention succeeded in increasing MVPA without compromising intrinsic motivation, perceived competence or planned lesson objectives.