Thesis (M.I.T.)--The Evergreen State College, 2009. / Title from title screen (viewed 7/29/2009). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-87).

Thesis (M.S.), Human Environmental Sciences--University of Central Oklahoma, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 31-34).

This study investigated the heart rates of children in the first, third, and fifth grades of two schools during physical education class and recess time. One hundred and nine children (56 females, 53 males) participated in the eight-week study. Each participant wore a Polar Vantage XL receptor strap and watch receiver during physical education class and recess time on the same day. The average heart rates and percentage of time in and above the target heart zone of 150 to 200 beats per minute were recorded. A MANOVA analysis revealed no significant difference between heart rates during physical education and recess over the eight-week period. Gender differences, however, were significant as boys average heart rates were higher than girls and boys were in or above the target heart zone a higher percentage of the time than girls. This difference was especially evident at recess. / Fisher Institute for Wellness

The benefits of physical activity (PA) for children are well-researched and extend into the realms of physical health, mental health and executive function (EF). Nonetheless, most U.S. children fail to meet the recommended target of daily PA. Although elementary schools can provide an ideal setting for PA, school-based PA time has been reduced in favor of increased sedentary instructional time. This contradicts research that supports the role of PA in enhancing students’ EF and academic achievement. Moreover, low-income and minority populations have inequitable access to school-based PA opportunities. For these reasons, researchers and public health officials have proposed integrating additional opportunities for PA during the school day, including classroom-based active breaks. This dissertation aims to study existing U.S. classroom-based active break programs, examine the feasibility of implementing a classroom-based active break program and analyze the impact of an integrated program on both PA and EF, all among underserved, minority populations. This dissertation includes four chapters in total. The second chapter is a systematic review that evaluated the impact of school-based PA interventions on children’s PA, with a focus on diverse populations. The third chapter describes a pilot study that assessed the feasibility of implementing a classroom PA program (HYPE) in a diverse urban setting. Teacher and student acceptability of HYPE were evaluated, as well as HYPE’s impact on student PA. HYPE was feasible and well-received, although time and space were challenges. Children’s median step count/day increased. The waitlist-control study presented in Chapter IV examined whether a multifaceted program (“POWER”) that incorporates both PA and EF would impact fifth graders positively. We also investigated whether POWER could assist teachers with classroom behavioral management. Overall, the positive changes in the intervention group and their favorable reception of POWER demonstrate the ability of POWER to improve children’s socioemotional, mental and physical health. Altogether, these studies highlight the potential for school-based PA interventions to improve the holistic wellbeing of children, particularly low-income, minority youth. Interventions that incorporate a teacher-led, multimodal approach to improving children’s PA and EF synergistically may be well-received by administrators, teachers and students and help children adopt healthy, lifelong habits.

Lee Kit-ha. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-64). / Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese. / Lee Kit-ha. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.i / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vii / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.viii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Role of Recess --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.1.1 --- Pro-recess Arguments --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.1.2 --- Anti-recess Arguments --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Under Utilization of the Recess --- p.5 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- The Recess in Hong Kong and Other Settings --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2 --- Purpose of the Study --- p.8 / Chapter 1.3 --- Theoretical Framework --- p.8 / Chapter 1.4 --- Operational Definition --- p.9 / Chapter 1.5 --- Significance of the Study --- p.10 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Review of Literatures --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1 --- Values of Participating in Physical Activity --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Health Benefits --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Psychological Aspects --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Social-Intellectual Development --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2 --- School Environmental Variables that may Influence Children's Physical Activity --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Physical Environmental Influences --- p.15 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Social Environmental Influences --- p.16 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Observed Behaviors during Recess --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3 --- Time and Place for Physical Activity in School --- p.17 / Chapter 2.4 --- Physical Activity of Children in School --- p.18 / Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.21 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Methodology --- p.22 / Chapter 3.1 --- Participants --- p.22 / Chapter 3.2 --- Instrumentation --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- "Measures of Physical Activity, Eating Behavior, and Related Environmental Events" --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.1.1 --- Behaviors of Eating and Activity for Children's Health Evaluation System (BEACHES) --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.1.2 --- Reliability and Validity of BEACHES --- p.27 / Chapter 3.2.1.3 --- "Observer Reliability (observer training , interobserver and intraobserver agreement scores)" --- p.27 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Measures of Physical Environmental Variables --- p.28 / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Environmental Inventory --- p.28 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Measures of Social Environmental Variables --- p.29 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- Situational Interview --- p.29 / Chapter 3.3 --- Observation Procedure --- p.29 / Chapter 3.4 --- Analysis of Data --- p.30 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- Results --- p.31 / Chapter 4.1 --- Results of BEACHES Variables --- p.32 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Physical Activity Levels --- p.32 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- School Types Comparison --- p.34 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Gender Comparison --- p.35 / Chapter 4.2 --- Relationship Between Physical Activity and Other Variables --- p.36 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Physical Location and Physical Activity --- p.36 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Prompts and Physical Activity --- p.37 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Recess Duration and Physical Activity --- p.38 / Chapter 4.3 --- Relationship Between Ingestion Behavior and Social Interactors --- p.38 / Chapter 4.4 --- Situational Interviews with Teachers --- p.39 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- Discussion --- p.41 / Chapter 5.1 --- Physical Activity and Ingestion Behaviors of Children --- p.42 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Physical Activity Behaviors --- p.42 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Physical Activity Levels and Recess duration --- p.43 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Ingestion Behaviors - --- p.43 / Chapter 5.2 --- Variables that Influence Physical Activity of Children --- p.44 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Social Environmental Variables --- p.44 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Gender Differences in Physical Activity --- p.46 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Physical Environmental Variables --- p.47 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- Conclusion and Recommendations --- p.52 / Chapter 6.1 --- Conclusion --- p.52 / Chapter 6.2 --- Recommendation --- p.53 / References --- p.56 / Appendices --- p.65