The Evolution of Physical Activity Promotion

Overview: A physically active lifestyle has numerous physical and mental health benefits for patients of all ages. Despite these significant benefits, a majority of Americans do not meet current physical activity guidelines. Health care providers, especially nurses, play a vital role in physical activity promotion. Over the past several decades, exercise and physical activity guidelines have evolved from a focus on structured, vigorous exercise to a focus on moderate-intensity “lifestyle” physical activity. The author updates nurses on physical activity guidelines and provides tips for promoting physical activity, with a focus on lifestyle activities such as walking to work. This article also addresses new research findings on the importance of decreasing sedentary and sitting time, even in physically active peopl

Increasing physical education and physical activity : a framework for schools 2017

A Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) is a framework for planning and organizing activities for school physical education and physical activity. It can help schools be strategic in addressing this aspect of the WSCC model. The goal of a CSPAP is to increase physical activity opportunities before, during, and after school and to increase students\u2019 overall physical activity and health. Healthy and physically active students tend to have better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance (e.g., memory), and classroom behaviors (e.g., on-task behavior).This document explains the CSPAP framework for school physical education and physical activity and identifies key professional development opportunities and resources to help schools implement this framework.Suggested citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Increasing Physical Education and Physical Activity: A Framework for Schools. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2017.CS278143-APublication date from document properties.17_278143-A_PE-PA-Framework_508.pd

Games Health J

ObjectiveThis study documented the prevalence of active screen time (i.e., screen time that includes active games, exercise or dance videos, or TV exercise programs) and identified characteristics associated with it among youth 9\ue2\u20ac\u201c18 years of age.Subjects and MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 1,165 youth using the 2009 Styles Surveys; data were weighted to approximate the Current Population Survey. We calculated descriptive statistics and conducted multivariable logistic regression to identify characteristics associated with active screen time by estimating adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsThe sample comprised 51.4 percent boys, and almost 60 percent were non-Hispanic white. The prevalence of active screen time \ue2\u2030\ua51 hour/day was 31.2 percent on a typical school day and 41.6 percent on a typical weekend day. Logistic regression revealed youth with physical activity of 3\ue2\u20ac\u201c5 days/week had higher odds of active screen time \ue2\u2030\ua51 hour/day compared with youth with no physical activity (aOR school day = 2.8, 95 percent CI 1.5\ue2\u20ac\u201c5.2; aOR weekend day = 2.3, 95 percent CI 1.4\ue2\u20ac\u201c3.9). Certain characteristics (i.e., sex, age group, race/ethnicity, income, and sedentary screen time) were significantly associated with active screen time \ue2\u2030\ua51 hour/day, but associations were inconsistent for school and weekend days.ConclusionsThree in 10 youth are engaging in at least 1 hour of active screen time on school days, and about 4 in 10 youth are engaging in at least one hour on weekend days. Understanding the use of active screen time and associated characteristics are important for developing interventions addressing screen time and physical activity.CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2015-12-07T00:00:00Z26197078PMC467107

Prev Med

Let's Move! Active Schools (LMAS), now Active Schools, is a national initiative in the United States (US) that aims to engage schools to increase students' opportunities to be physically active. This evaluation describes changes in school-level practices related to physical education (PE) and physical activity (PA) among schools that received an LMAS-partner grant from ChildObesity180 or Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP60). ChildObesity180 and FUTP60 asked grantee schools to complete nine common questions, between October 2013 and August 2014, before and after receiving the grants to assess progress in implementing practices for PE and PA. "Yes" responses indicated presence of PE/PA-supportive practices. For schools with complete pre and post data (n=972), frequencies of "yes" responses were calculated for each practice at pre/post. Schools receiving a FUTP60 partner grant reported statistically significant improvements from pre to post across five practices for PE and PA, and ChildObesity180 grantees reported significant increases on all practices except daily recess, which was already in place at 95% of schools at pre-survey. Schools across both grant programs reported the largest increases for promoting PA via messaging, implementing classroom PA breaks, and providing PA before and after school. Schools in both programs reported smaller, but statistically significant, increases in requiring the recommended minutes of PE. This study illustrates the feasibility of offering small grants, at a national scale, for schools to make changes that support PA throughout the day. Results suggest that schools can shift PA policies and practices over the course of a school year.CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2019-03-01T00:00:00Z29288779PMC5828981vault:2742

State indicator report on physical activity, 2014

The State Indicator Report on Physical Activity, 2014, presents state-level information on physical activity behaviors and on environmental and policy supports for physical activity.People who are physically active generally live longer and have a lower risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, some cancers, and obesity. Environmental and policy strategies such as access to safe places for physical activity, physical education and physical activity in schools and child care settings, and street-scale and community-scale design policy can help increase physical activity behavior among all AmericansThis report shows that physical activity among adults and high school students is higher in some states than others. Overall, most states have environmental and policy strategies in place that encourage physical activity.The State Indicator Report on Physical Activity, 2014, can be used to illustrate how states support physical activity and identify opportunities to improve access to environmental supports such as sidewalks or walking paths for active behavior.State health departments can work with governmental and non- governmental partners to create safe places for physical activity, to enhance physical education and physical activity in schools and child care settings, and to support street-scale and community-scale design policy. These partnerships will likely depend on the type of activities a state chooses to focus on. For example, some state departments of health, parks and recreation, and education may work together to help communities establish joint-use agreements that allow residents to use school physical activity facilities after school hours. To increase residents\u2019 access to safe sidewalks, state departments of health, transportation, and community organization may work together to support street-scale design policies.Suggested citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State Indicator Report on Physical Activity, 2014. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014.CS248165-A2014821

Naturally-Occurring Changes in Social-Cognitive Factors Modify Change in Physical Activity During Early Adolescence

Purpose To determine whether naturally-occurring changes in children’s motives and beliefs are associated with the steep decline in physical activity observed from childhood to early adolescence. Methods Latent growth modeling was applied in longitudinal tests of social-cognitive influences, and their interactions, on physical activity in a large cohort of boys and girls evaluated annually between 5th and 7th grades. Results Measurement equivalence of motives and beliefs was confirmed between boys and girls. After adjustment for gender and maturity differences, physical activity declined less in children who reported the least decreases in self-efficacy for overcoming barriers to activity and perceived parental support. Physical activity also declined less in students who persistently felt they had more parental and friend support for activity compared to those who reported the largest decrease in support from friends. After further adjustment for race, the decline in physical activity was less in those who had the largest decrease in perceived barriers and maintained a favorable perception of their neighborhood environment. Changes in enjoyment and social motives were unrelated to change in physical activity. Conclusion Using an objective measure of physical activity, we confirm that naturally-occurring changes in children’s beliefs about barriers to physical activity and their ability to overcome them, as well as perceptions of their neighborhood environment and social support, are concurrent with age-related declines in children’s physical activity. The longitudinal findings confirm these putative social-cognitive mediators as plausible, interacting targets of interventions designed to mitigate the marked decline in physical activity that occurs during the transition between elementary and middle schools

The Influence of Sport Participation on Physical Activity in Youth

Youth sport participation has been widely supported as a strategy for promoting physical activity in children and youth. Previous research has identified positive associations between youth sport participation and children’s physical activity levels. However, there is a paucity of research regarding characteristics of youth sport that may affect the amount and intensity of physical activity youth attain during sport participation. This dissertation is comprised of three studies, and the overall purpose is to examine how characteristics of youth sport associate with children’s physical activity. In the first study, the relationship between types of sport participation and objectively measured physical activity in a sample of middle school youth was examined. Results indicated that children who participated in sport were more physically active and less sedentary than their non-participant peers. Additionally, children’s physical activity level was positively associated with frequency of sport participation. The purpose of the second study was to describe practice and social contextual factors that associated with children’s physical activity levels during their participation in a youth sport program. A direct observational system was used to measure children’s physical activity intensity and practice and social contextual factors during practices. Results indicated that practice contexts, such as fitness and game activities, were associated with higher intensities of physical activity. The third study examined how certain coaching factors relate to children’s physical activity levels during their participation in a youth sport program. A direct observational system was used to measure children’s physical activity intensity, coaching behaviors, and coach proximity during practices. Coaching experience and training data were assessed via surveys completed by coaches. Results indicated that specific coach behaviors, such as watching children perform practice activities with and without verbal feedback, were associated with higher intensity levels of children’s physical activity. In addition, prior coaching experience was positively related to children’s physical activity levels. Coaching training did not appear to positively influence children’s engagement in physical activity. Overall, the findings of this dissertation describe the physical activity behaviors and related youth sport characteristics of children participating in youth sport programs. Findings indicated that children’s physical activity was directly related to their level of participation in sport. Additionally, characteristics of youth sport including practice context, coaching behaviors, coaching experience, and coach training appear to influence children’s physical activity intensity during their participation in youth sport. Collectively, the findings of this dissertation highlight the important role that youth sport programs can play as a setting for physical activity promotion of children and youth