Impact of the Boston Active School Day Policy to Promote Physical Activity among Children

Cradock, Angie L.; Barrett, Jessica L.; Carter, Jill; McHugh, Anne; Sproul, Jonathan; Russo, Elizabeth T.; Dao-Tran, Patricia; Gortmaker, Steven L.

doi:10.4278/ajhp.130430-quan-204

Cited by 52 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…As such, no single domain within the school setting seems able to promote PA to desired levels in a majority of children, and holistic approaches encompassing all school domains are necessary to offer sufficient opportunities to be physically active within this academic setting. The Boston Active School Day Policy [41] is an example of such a holistic approach to school-based PA promotion, aiming to increase the weekly PA of fourth and fifth graders during school hours to 150 min through targeting a combination of the domains of PE, recess and classroom activities. The intervention group was offered an 18-min greater increase in provided weekly PA opportunities compared to controls, which resulted in higher increases in MVPA and decreases in sedentary time during school hours from baseline to follow-up [41].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s physical activity during a segmented school week: results from a quasi-experimental education outside the classroom intervention

Schneller

Schipperijn

Nielsen

et al. 2017

Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

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BackgroundMovement integration (MI) into traditional classroom teaching is a promising opportunity for children to increase physical activity (PA). Education outside the classroom (EOtC) can be regarded as MI, and has increased children’s PA in case studies. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of EOtC on children’s PA by segmenting weekly activity-related behavior into a range of day types and domains.MethodsIn a quasi-experimental design, 33 classes were recruited and participants’ PA was objectively measured using accelerometers taped to the lower back. In total, 361 (10.89 ± 1.03 years) participants with 7 days of 24 h wear time per day were included in a day type PA analysis, and 194 of these participants (10.46 ± 0.99 years) provided information on time spent in specific domains (e.g. EOtC or recess) and were included in a domain-specific PA analysis. Differences in proportion of time spent in PA intensities were tested using mixed-effects regression models.ResultsMore moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) occurred on days with physical education (PE) than days with EOtC (girls 0.79%, p = .001, CI = .26% to 1.31%; boys 1.35%, p = .003, CI = .32% to 2.38%), while no difference was found between EOtC days and school days without EOtC and PE. Light physical activity (LPA) was higher on EOtC days than school days without EOtC and PE (girls 2.43% p < .001, CI = 1.21% to 3.65%; boys 2.08%, p < .001, CI = .69% to 3.47%) and PE days (girls 2.18%, p < .001, CI = .80% to 3.56%; boys 2.40%, p < .001, CI = .83% to 3.96%). Comparing EOtC and classroom domains, boys proportionally spent 7.95% (p < .001, CI = 3.00% to 12.90%) more time in MVPA while no difference (p = 1.000) was measured for LPA, and girls had no difference (p = .176) in MVPA, but spent 9.76% (p < .001, CI = 7.12% to 12.41%) more time in LPA.ConclusionsEOtC was implemented without the provision of additional resources and with positive effects on PA. Findings suggest EOtC as a way to provide children with an additional opportunity to accumulate PA within the existing school setting.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s physical activity during a segmented school week: results from a quasi-experimental education outside the classroom intervention

Schneller

Schipperijn

Nielsen

et al. 2017

Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

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“…La escasa evidencia existente de la respuesta del %MG y VO 2max utilizando los JR en adolescentes no deportistas 29 , nos ofreció grandes posibilidades de estimar los efectos sobre las variables estudiadas e implementar una intervención motivadora y efectiva para incrementar los niveles de AF 2,40 . La literatura señala que un mayor tiempo en las zonas de alta intensidad es consecuencia del número de participantes (3 vs.3 o 4 vs.4).…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

Efecto de los juegos reducidos en la composición corporal y la condición física aeróbica en un grupo de adolescentes escolares

et al. 2015

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“…Physical education time has been reduced in many schools in the USA and internationally to allow for more time spent focusing on content-area learning (13, 14), an issue reflected in the focus group results. The focus group participants agreed that, due to current academic demands, the emphasis on standards, and prescribed amounts of time each day devoted to particular curricular components, it would be very difficult to increase levels of student PA at school.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the many benefits to be gained through PA (1–6), activity time is being reduced in schools in the USA and worldwide in deference to time spent learning content, particularly given the emphasis on standardized testing (13, 14). The present research was undertaken to determine whether incorporating an innovative tool into the classroom to encourage PA during content learning would be acceptable and feasible.…”

Section: Study 2: In-classroom Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the USA, physical education (PE) time has been reduced in many schools due to efforts to increase time spent in content-area learning (14), despite recommendations from international working groups that increasing PA at school is a high-leverage target for promoting health worldwide (15). Preparing students to achieve specific standards for content-area courses, but not PA, has meant reduced incentive and thus reduced time for PA at school.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Jump In! An Investigation of School Physical Activity Climate, and a Pilot Study Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility of a Novel Tool to Increase Activity during Learning

Graham

Lucas‐Thompson

O’Donnell

2014

Front. Public Health

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Physical activity (PA) benefits children’s physical and mental health and enhances academic performance. However, in many nations, PA time in school is decreasing under competing pressures for time during the school day. The present paper argues that PA should not be reduced or seen as incompatible with academic learning. Instead, the authors contend that it is critical to develop tools that incorporate PA into content learning during the school day. To facilitate the development of such tools, the authors conducted 6 focus group discussions with 12 primary school teachers and administrators to better understand the school climate around PA as well as school readiness to embrace PA tools that can be used during academic content learning. In addition, a pilot test of a new health promotion tool, the Jump In! educational response mat, was conducted with 21 second-grade students from one classroom in Northern Colorado in 2013. The results of both studies demonstrated acceptability and feasibility of incorporating PA into classroom learning, and suggested that tools like Jump In! may be effective at overcoming many of the PA barriers at schools. Teachers and administrators valued PA, believed that students were not getting enough PA, and were receptive to the idea of incorporating PA into classroom learning. Students who used Jump In! mats during a math lesson reported more interest in the class material and rated themselves as more alert during the lesson, compared to students who did not use the response mats. In addition, incorporating PA into the lesson did not impair performance on a quiz that assessed learning of the math content. Jump In! mats were successfully integrated into the lesson plan and were well-received by teachers and students. Together, the results of these studies suggest that, given the right tools, incorporating more PA into classroom learning may be beneficial and well-received by students, teachers, and administrators.

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Impact of the Boston Active School Day Policy to Promote Physical Activity among Children

Abstract: Active School Day implementation increased student moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels by 24% and decreased sedentary time during school at modest cost.

Cited by 52 publications

References 60 publications

Children’s physical activity during a segmented school week: results from a quasi-experimental education outside the classroom intervention

Children’s physical activity during a segmented school week: results from a quasi-experimental education outside the classroom intervention

Efecto de los juegos reducidos en la composición corporal y la condición física aeróbica en un grupo de adolescentes escolares

Jump In! An Investigation of School Physical Activity Climate, and a Pilot Study Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility of a Novel Tool to Increase Activity during Learning

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