Trends in physical activity, health-related fitness, and gross motor skills in children during a two-year comprehensive school physical activity program

Brusseau

et al. 2020

Front. Public Health

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No study to date has examined the effect of a multicomponent school-based physical activity program on health behavior knowledge in a large sample of low-income children from the US. The purpose of this study was to explore the change in physical activity and nutrition knowledge during a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) in children. Participants were a convenience sample of 789 children recruited from the 4th to 6th grades from five low-income Title I schools located within the Mountain West Region of the US. Students completed two questionnaires consisting of a physical activity and a nutrition knowledge assessment. Questionnaires were administered at baseline before the commencement of CSPAP and at a 36-week follow-up. Data were analyzed using a 3 × 2 × 2 doubly MANOVA test. Physical activity knowledge scores significantly improved from pretest to posttest during the intervention ( p = 0.045, Cohen's d = 0.18). Grade level modified the time effects, with older children in grades 5 and 6 displaying greater improvements in physical activity knowledge than younger children in grade 4 ( p = 0.044, Cohen's d = 0.33). There were no significant improvements in nutrition knowledge scores during the CSPAP ( p = 0.150). These findings demonstrate that improvements in physical activity knowledge can occur during a multicomponent school-based intervention. Improvements in physical activity knowledge may translate to improvements in habitual physical activity behaviors and positively influence children's health outcomes, especially in older children.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming and Health Behavior Knowledge

Mattson

Brusseau

et al. 2020

Front. Public Health

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“…School is an appropriate setting where young people can improve their health and well-being [19]. It has been well documented that school-age children's physical fitness (i.e., cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular fitness, flexibility, and body composition) benefits from various types of school-based physical activity programs, such as classroombased active video game [15], comprehensive school physical activity program [5], physical education curriculum [16]. Specifically, Fu et al [15] reported that, after participating an 18-week active video game program in their classroom, a group of 6th grade school children improved cardiorespiratory endurance relative to the comparison group who did not play the active video game.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, Fu et al [15] reported that, after participating an 18-week active video game program in their classroom, a group of 6th grade school children improved cardiorespiratory endurance relative to the comparison group who did not play the active video game. Brusseau et al [5] reported that the elementary school students from low-income families improved cardiorespiratory endurance and body composition after participating in a 2-year comprehensive school physical activity program. In addition, some school-based physical education programs, such as SPARK, also demonstrated a positive influence on elementary and middle school student's cardiorespiratory endurance and body composition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of the Resistance Exercise on Elementary School Students’ Physical Fitness

J. of SCI. IN SPORT AND EXERCISE

Constantino

et al. 2019

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Background Physical activity programs using components of resistance have the potential to improve health in school children. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a school-based resistance exercise program on physical fitness in elementary school students. Methods The sample was 256 children (mean age = 8.3 ± 2.5 years; 119 girls) from kindergarten to 5th grade. Participants performed a 10-min resistance exercise 2-3 times in each school day. Physical fitness outcomes were assessed using President's Physical Fitness Challenge test. Measures were collected at baseline and at a 6-month post-test time point. A 2 × 2 doubly MANOVA was employed to examine the effect of sex and time. Results The multivariate model was statistically significant with a main time effect (Wilks' λ = 0.19, F = 290.9, P < 0.001). Follow-univariate tests found significant differences between time-points on flex arm hang (P = 0.033), shuttle run (P < 0.001), and 1-mile run/walk times (P < 0.001). Conclusions A 6-month resistance exercise program improved upper body strength and cardiorespiratory endurance in elementary school aged children. The use of resistance exercise intervention during school day can be effectively used to promote physical fitness and ultimately improve the health of children.

“…Most CSPAP efforts have excluded staff involvement and parental/community involvement [24,31]. CSPAP interventions have demonstrated positive change across a number of outcomes [4] including physical activity, health-related fitness and motor skill development. More specifically, recent research has suggested that CSPAP can improve a number of outcomes including physical activity [15], health-related fitness [3], motor skill proficiency [9], classroom on-task behavior [8] and physical activity enjoyment [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…CSPAP studies have used both the physical education teacher [7] and stand-alone school staff [4] as physical activity leaders and have both had success increasing physical activity. Goh et al, [21] however, has suggested that physical education teachers find it challenging to fulfill recommended leadership responsibilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Physical Activity Leader and Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program Effectiveness

Brusseau

Biomedical Human Kinetics

2018

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Summary Study aim: Two thirds of children are not meeting recommended levels of physical activity. A solution to physical inactivity is Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming (CSPAP). Little is known regarding the impact of a school’s physical activity leader on CSPAP effectiveness. Therefore, this study explored changes in physical activity accumulated during school hours in CSPAP schools being led by the physical education teacher compared to a stand-alone physical activity leader.