This project is a plan whereby Summit Intermediate School will implement a new fitness and health oriented curriculum. The Prudential Fitnessgram will be utilized as the change vehicle through which students will face a variety of fitness activities, assessments, and goal setting opportunities during physical education class.

Incidence of childhood obesity has increased dramatically within the last 30 years. Childhood obesity is of concern because of the associated health problems, and because childhood obesity often tracks into adulthood. There is a clear association between activity-level and obesity. Therefore, it is important to consider physical activity patterns in the treatment and prevention of childhood obesity. Childhood is a key time period to intervene in the formation of habits and patterns associated with physical activity that may reduce obesity. To date, few studies have focused on the level of examining obese children individually. This case study focused on the physical activity patterns of 4 obese 6-10 year olds (two boys, two girls). All of the participants were above the 99th percentile for weight and had a body fat percentage exceeding 45%. Lipid profiles of the participants revealed that three of the four had high total cholesterol, indicating an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. All of the participants were close to or exceeded the waist to hip ratio value that indicates very high risk for cardiovascular and related diseases (>0.82 for boys, >0.94 for girls). Use of the Caltrac accelerometer, KIHD 24-Hour Total Physical Activity Record and System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time revealed that the obese 6-10 year old participants averaged 1.85 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per lunch recess time. When extrapolated, the data revealed that the participants spend less than 20 minutes a day in MVP A. This is less than MVP A norms of children in the same age group. The obese participants were not meeting the current recommendations for 60 minutes or more a day for MVPA. Furthermore, the activity patterns of the participants differ from those of normal weight children. Although children in general and the participant's tend to choose low level activity over MVP A, the participants spent more than 16.5 hours per day in sedentary physical activity, which is more than their normal weight counterparts (10.4 +/- 0.8).

The purpose of this study was to explore how families would respond to a health-related, home-centered family fitness program designed to improve lifestyle exercise and eating behaviors. This program involved five families (eleven subjects) recruited from Park Road High School in Rural Virginia. The program was based on family systems theory, and social learning principles. The program consisted of a one-week baseline period and five two-week intervention periods. A changing criterion design was utilized; and incentives ($15 toward active sports equipment) were offered during the final two phases if all family members met their food goals for both weeks of the given phase. The entire group was tested regarding personal health measures (flexibility, resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, height, weight, and body composition); strength (bent knee sit-ups, modified pull-ups); knowledge (written test); and cardiovascular endurance (one mile or 1/2 mile run/walk) at baseline at the six week point (interim) of the intervention, and at the ten week point (final). / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent physical education programs are being implemented in a Southern California school district, in an effort to increase physical activity and decrease obesity among students. This study also identified factors that either contributed to, or detracted from, implementation.

<p>Regular physical activity is linked to enhanced health and to reduced risk for mortality and the development of many chronic diseases in adults. However, many adults are either sedentary of less physically active. Children and adolescents are more physically active than adults, but participation in physical activity declines with age during adolescence. Girls are less active than boys, older children and adolescents are less active than younger children, and among girls, blacks are less active than whites. This study aimed to examine physical activity in female learners attending Kagiso Township high schools in Gauteng Province.</p>

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

<p>Regular physical activity is linked to enhanced health and to reduced risk for mortality and the development of many chronic diseases in adults. However, many adults are either sedentary of less physically active. Children and adolescents are more physically active than adults, but participation in physical activity declines with age during adolescence. Girls are less active than boys, older children and adolescents are less active than younger children, and among girls, blacks are less active than whites. This study aimed to examine physical activity in female learners attending Kagiso Township high schools in Gauteng Province.</p>

No description available.

The focus of this project is an analysis of the relationship between the results of the Academic Performance Index (API) and the Fitnessgram for seventh grade students in California's Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Results of the analysis show a positive relationship beween academic scores and fitness scores.

In the current study, the relation of the frequency of sport participation and gender to CRF, muscular strength and flexibility, body composition, physical activity self-efficacy, and physical self-concept in a sample of 629 sixth graders were examined. Because both physical activity and sport participation have been related to similar outcomes, activity through physical education was controlled by including only 6th graders who were part of a required school class. MANCOVA analyses demonstrated that sport involvement was significantly related to improvements in physical fitness (i.e., CRF and muscular strength), physical activity self-efficacy, and physical self-concept (CRF and muscular strength). The interaction between sport involvement and gender was not significant, suggesting these relationships existed equally for the boys and girls.