Research Blog...

I chose a research study involving physical activity in elementary schools.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated a health-related physical education program for fourth- and fifth-grade students designed to increase physical activity during physical education classes and outside of school.

METHODS: Seven schools were assigned to three conditions in a quasi-experimental design. Health-related physical education was taught by physical education specialists or trained classroom teachers. Students from these classes were compared with those in control classes. Analyses were conducted on 955 students.

RESULTS: Students spent more minutes per week being physically active in specialist-led (40 min) and teacher-led (33 min) physical education classes than in control classes (18 min). After 2 years, girls in the specialist-led condition were superior to girls in the control condition on abdominal strength and endurance and cardiorespiratory endurance. There were no effects on physical activity outside of school.
*So the only real result was that the girls had more physical strength as a result of the increased physical activity but no result on academics?

CONCLUSIONS: A health-related physical education curriculum can provide students with substantially more physical activity during physical education classes. Improved physical education classes can potentially benefit 97% of elementary school students.

CONS: *How well could every child's physical activity be controlled? Also this article does not really state what the exact purpose of increasing the child's activity was? The study does not explain how it benefits 97% of elementary students? Is it just physically or just general in life?



J F Sallis, T L McKenzie, J E Alcaraz, B Kolody, N Faucette and M F Hovell (2008) American Journal of Public Health. The effects of a 2-year physical education program (SPARK) on physical activity and fitness in elementary school students. Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids. 9 September 2008. http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/87/8/1328