academic outcomes, including school absenteeism, school completion, academic performance at the end of school, and university enrollment. The primary aim of the current study was to identify long-term patterns of sport participation from childhood into adolescence and to examine the association between
Search Results
Sport Participation for Academic Success: Evidence From the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Katherine B. Owen, Bridget C. Foley, Ben J. Smith, Karine E. Manera, Lucy Corbett, Michelle Lim, Philayrath Phongsavan, Pamela Qualter, Ding Ding, and Philip J. Clare
Walking School Bus Programs in U.S. Public Elementary Schools
Lindsey Turner, Jamie F. Chriqui, and Frank J. Chaloupka
Background:
Active transportation to school provides an important way for children to meet physical activity recommendations. The “walking school bus” (WSB) is a strategy whereby adults walk with a group of children to and from school along a fixed route. This study assessed whether school-organized WSB programs varied by school characteristics, district policies, and state laws.
Methods:
School data were gathered by mail-back surveys in nationally representative samples of U.S. public elementary schools during the 2008−2009 and 2009−2010 school years (n = 632 and 666, respectively). Corresponding district policies and state laws were obtained.
Results:
Nationwide, 4.2% of schools organized a WSB program during 2008−2009, increasing to 6.2% by 2009−2010. Controlling for demographic covariates, schools were more likely to organize a WSB program where there was a strong district policy pertaining to safe active routes to school (OR = 2.14, P < .05), or a state law requiring crossing guards around schools (OR = 2.72, P < .05).
Conclusions:
WSB programs are not common but district policies and state laws are associated with an increased likelihood of elementary schools organizing these programs. Policymaking efforts may encourage schools to promote active transportation.
National Study of Changes in Community Access to School Physical Activity Facilities: The School Health Policies and Programs Study
Kelly R. Evenson, Fang Wen, Sarah M. Lee, Katie M. Heinrich, and Amy Eyler
Background:
A Healthy People 2010 developmental objective (22-12) was set to increase the proportion of the nation's public and private schools that provide access to their physical activity spaces and facilities for all persons outside of normal school hours. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of indoor and outdoor facilities at schools and the availability of those facilities to the public in 2000 and 2006.
Methods:
In 2000 and 2006, the School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) was conducted in each state and in randomly selected districts, schools, and classrooms. This analysis focused on the school level questionnaire from a nationally representative sample of public and nonpublic elementary, middle, and high schools (n = 921 in 2000 and n = 984 in 2006).
Results:
No meaningful changes in the prevalence of access to school physical activity facilities were found from 2000 to 2006, for youth or adult community sports teams, classes, or open gym.
Conclusions:
These national data indicate a lack of progress from 2000 and 2006 toward increasing the proportion of the nation's public and private schools that provide access to their physical activity facilities for all persons outside of normal school hours.
Examining High School Teacher-Coaches’ Perspective on Relationship Building With Student-Athletes
Martin Camiré
Adult leaders in sport can exert considerable influence on young athletes’ development but this influence is mediated by the quality of the relationship that is formed between both parties. The purpose of the current study was to examine high school teacher-coaches’ perspective on relationship building with student-athletes. Teacher-coaches (20 men, 5 women, Mage = 37.0 years, age range: 25–56 years) from Canada took part in semistructured interviews. Results indicated how the participants believed being both a teacher and a coach was advantageous because it allowed them to interact regularly with student-athletes. The teacher-coaches devised a number of strategies (e.g., early-season tournaments, regular team meetings) to nurture relationships and believed their recurrent interactions allowed them to exert a more positive influence on student-athletes than adult leaders in a single role. In terms of outcomes, the teacher-coaches believed their dual role helped increase their job satisfaction, positively influenced their identity, and allowed them to help student-athletes through critical family (e.g., alcoholism, divorce) and personal issues (e.g., suicide). The current study suggests that the dual role of teacher-coach is beneficial to both teacher-coaches and student-athletes. However, future work is needed, paying attention to how teacher-coaches can further nurture quality relationships with student-athletes.
Development and Construct Validation of a Questionnaire for Measuring Affordances for Motor Behavior of Schoolchildren
Fábio Saraiva Flôres, Luis Paulo Rodrigues, and Rita Cordovil
macrolevel, starting from the child and family environment to the cultural influences specific of different countries. The first level of influence is the microsystem, which corresponds to the child’s immediate surroundings (e.g., home, neighborhood, daycare center, school, sports environments), where
Effects of a 10-Week Integrated Curriculum Intervention on Physical Activity, Resting Blood Pressure, Motor Skills, and Well-Being in 6- to 7-Year-Olds
Michael J. Duncan, Katie Fitton Davies, Nduka Okwose, Amy E. Harwood, and Djordje G. Jakovljevic
health profiles than their more affluent peers 6 with such profile being delayed even further as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 7 The school is an important environment for children and is consistently cited as one location where attempts to promote PA may be particularly successful. 8 , 9 While
Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity in Physical Education: A Review of Reviews
Damián Iglesias, Javier Fernandez-Rio, and Pablo Rodríguez-González
MVPA for at least 50% of their lesson time ( Association for Physical Education [AFPE], 2017 ; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Prevention, and Division of Adolescent and School Health
Context-Specific Correlates of Walking Behaviors to and From School: Do They Vary Across Neighborhoods and Populations?
Xuemei Zhu, Chanam Lee, Oi-Man Kwok, and James W. Varni
Background:
A growing number of studies have examined correlates of walking-to/from-school behaviors. However, the potential differences across neighborhoods have been understudied. To address this knowledge gap, this study compared 4 elementary school settings (low-income inner-city; mid- to low-income, urban with and without freeway in attendance area; and high-income suburban) in Austin, Texas.
Methods:
Parental surveys (n = 680, response rate = 25%) were analyzed using binary logistic regressions to identify correlates of walking to/from school for each setting. Five focus groups were conducted with 15 parents and analyzed using content analysis to supplement the survey results.
Results:
Parents’ personal barrier was the only consistently significant variable across 4 settings (OR = 0.113−0.463, P < .05). Parental education showed contrasting results between the suburban setting (OR = 3.895, P < .01) and the urban setting with freeway presence (OR = 0.568, P < .05). Personal attitude and walking habit had lower explanatory power in lower-income settings than in the higher-income site. But sociodemographic, physical environment, and safety conditions had greater explanatory power in lower-income settings. Freeway barrier was significant in the inner-city setting (OR = 0.029, P < .05) and the urban setting with freeway presence (OR = 0.142, P < .05).
Conclusions:
Significant differences in correlates of walking-to/from-school behaviors were found across the 4 elementary school settings, suggesting the importance of context-sensitive approaches in future research and practice.
After-School Activities of Japanese Elementary School Children: Comparison of Children Who Attend Lessons and Cram Schools With Those Who Do Not
Yasuo Kojima
CIM. Although the results frequently confirmed that children become more active with the increase in grade level, 4 – 6 other scholars demonstrated the effects of gender, 6 – 9 birth order, 9 – 11 regional categories, 12 – 14 distance from home to school, 15 and parental perceptions of
The Provision and Experience of Variety in Physical Activity Settings: A Systematic Review of Quantitative and Qualitative Studies
Narelle Eather, Emily McLachlan, Benjamin Sylvester, Mark Beauchamp, Colin Sanctuary, and David Lubans
Information From Qualitative Studies Citation/country Sample ( N )/age (years) Setting/study design Operationalization of variety Outcomes examined Results Abildsnes et al. ( 2017 ) Norway 23 15–17 High school Focus group (subsample) Perceived variety in PE activities Enjoyment/engagement in PE Focus group
