Correlates of Physical Activity of Students in Secondary School Physical Education: A Systematic Review of Literature

Abstract

Background and Objective. Several reviews have summarised studies on secondary school students’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in physical education (PE), but no systematic review with semiquantitative assessment has been conducted to specifically identify the correlates of their MVPA. This review aims to systematically summarise the existing literature, which investigated correlates of MVPA of secondary school students during their PE lessons. Methods. A systematic search using ERIC, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, PsycINFO, Academic Search Premier, and Web of Science was conducted to identify the correlates of the MVPA of secondary school students in PE. Studies were eligible if they were English published articles and examined the association with MVPA during secondary school PE lessons and cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal quantitative studies. Two reviewers independently examined the articles, assessed their methodological quality, and performed data extraction. The correlates of MVPA were synthesised and further assessed semiquantitatively. Results. Fifty-five studies were identified to correlate with secondary school students’ MVPA in PE lessons. Further analysis only included 43 studies (78.2%) that were of medium and high quality by methodological quality assessment. Out of 54 variables identified from these medium and high-quality studies, 11 were consistently associated with the MVPA. Sex (boys), ethnicity (White), class gender (boys-only), PE activities (team games), lesson location (outdoors), expectancy beliefs, subjective task values, and enjoyment were consistently and positively associated with MVPA. Other variables, namely, class gender (girls-only), PE activities (movement activities), and lesson context (knowledge), were consistently and negatively related to MVPA. Conclusions. Interventions focusing on the consistent variables are needed to build active lesson time in PE. This review also provides insights for future research.

Effects of gender, activity type, class location and class composition on physical activity levels experienced during physical education classes in British secondary schools: a pilot cross-sectional study

“…Other barriers to the development of highintensity PE classes could be described as institutional, with various school policies, limited facilities, or a crowded curriculum potentially resulting in a decreased interest and time allocated for PE compared to more traditional areas, such as science or literature [16]. Finally, other factors also play a crucial role, such as differences in pedagogical variables (class size, available space, organizational strategies, teaching approaches, lesson content, etc), [17,18] or inter-individual factors, including teachers' beliefs, skills and confidence, or students' motivation, ethnicity, socio-economical status, interests and gender [19,20,48,49]. When using a hierarchical analysis we found no significant relationship between gender and the proportion of PE session time spent in all activity level domains.…”

Clusters of health behaviours among young adults in Ireland

“…However, a number of studies suggest the existence of school effects in these domains. In a systematic review, Zhou and Wang (2019) found that levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adolescents were higher in boys-only classes, where there were team activities in PE and where lessons were outdoors; they were lower in girls-only classes and where there was an emphasis on movement activities (such as dance or gymnastics). Cradock et al (2007) found that levels of physical activity among Boston students (aged 12-14) were greater where schools had more space (overall, in the playground and in the building).…”

Using Smart Bracelets to Assess Heart Rate Among Students During Physical Education Lessons: Feasibility, Reliability, and Validity Study

“…Physical education (PE) lessons are an important way to promote MVPA in children and adolescents. Such lessons not only provide a chance for students to be active, directly accumulating MVPA over time, but also provide opportunities for students to learn different types of motor or sport skills that may increase their MVPA as well [ 8 , 9 ]. Recognizing the importance of PE lessons for the physical fitness and health of children and adolescents [ 10 ], the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States [ 11 ] and Association for Physical Education of the United Kingdom [ 12 ] have recommended that children and adolescents engage in MVPA for at least 50% of the total PE lesson time [ 7 ].…”