Themed Review: Clinical Interventions to Promote Physical Activity in Youth

Abstract

National recommendations call for children and adolescents to accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days of the week and for physicians to counsel their patients about physical activity. Physical inactivity tracks from childhood into adulthood, and among youth, it is associated with unfavorable risk factor profiles that promote the development of cardiovascular and metabolic chronic diseases. Few studies of clinical interventions to promote physical activity in children and youth have been published, and the paucity of evidence describing effective interventions and significant barriers limit delivery of counseling. However, existing studies provide evidence about elements of counseling most likely to be effective to guide clinical interventions and inform future research. Based on a literature review, this article offers guidance for incorporating physical activity promotion into clinical care, identifies gaps in current evidence, and suggests methodologic considerations for future research.

A Church‐Based Intervention to Change Attitudes about Physical Activity among Black Adolescent Girls: A Feasibility Study

“…The second 30‐min session was an interactive dance aerobics class conducted by a certified aerobics instructor. Dance interventions were built on the social, cultural, and historic significance of dance in the African American community, which have been shown to be well‐received by Black adolescent girls (Meriwether, Lobelo, & Pate, ; Olvera, ).…”

School and weekend physical activity of 15-16 year-old Czech, Slovak and Polish adolescents

“…The positive infl uence of PA on mental and physical health has been observed both in the children and youth populations (Meriwether, Lobelo, & Pate, 2008;Strong et al, 2005). Monitoring children attending elementary school with extended PE lessons (sport schools) and children attending regular school, it has been found that children from sport schools show better physical, drink ing and eating regimes and are more frequently non-smokers and teetotalers (Havelková, Kachlík, & Raus, 2006).…”

Preventing Heart Disease Today and Tomorrow in Youth

“…5 Children who are underactive are at an increased risk for overweight/obesity; insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and type 2 diabetes; hyperlipidemia; hypertension; and clustering of these risk factors. 67 Exercise is a low-cost, nonpharmacological intervention that can optimize lipid and lipoprotein levels in children and adolescents. 68 Kelley and Kelley 69 examined the effects of aerobic exercise on selected CHD risk factors (eg, hemoglobin A 1C , SBP, LDL-C, BMI) using data from previously published meta-analyses.…”