Girls’ Physical Activity during High School Physical Education: Influences of Body Composition and Cardiorespiratory Fitness

2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart J. Fairclough

This study assessed the physical activity levels of 20 high school girls (age 13 years, SD = 1.1) during physical education classes, over an 8-month period. Physical activity was measured by heart rate telemetry and accelerometry. Skinfold measurements were used to estimate percent body fat, and peak VO2 was assessed by maximal treadmill running. Girls engaged in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) for 38.5% of class time and produced 961.8 vector magnitude (Vmag) counts · min−1. Body fat was inversely correlated with Vmag counts · min−1 (r = −.65, p < .01) and peak VO2 (r = −.65, p < .01). Girls’ MVPA in physical education did not meet the Healthy People 2010 50% of class time criterion. Body fat significantly predicted 42% of the variance in Vmag counts · min−1. Cardiorespiratory fitness appeared not to influence physical activity during physical education, regardless of measurement method. Girls’ physical activity in physical education may be improved if schools advocate planned lesson outcomes that aim to maximize opportunities for physical activity.

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Fairclough ◽  
Gareth Stratton

Forty studies reporting physical activity during middle and high school physical education (PE) classes were reviewed. Students engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for 27% to 47% of class time. Intervention strategies were successful in increasing MVPA. During nonintervention classes the highest levels of MVPA occurred in invasion games and fitness activities. Movement activities stimulated the lowest levels. Boys and girls spent 40% of class time in MVPA. Differences in MVPA during PE were also methodology dependent. PE classes can complement other school-based opportunities to contribute to young people’s daily physical activity.


2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yew Meng How ◽  
Peter Whipp ◽  
James Dimmock ◽  
Ben Jackson

This study examined whether the provision of choice in physical education (PE) enhanced students’ autonomous motivation, perceived autonomy support, and physical activity (PA) levels, relative to a “regular PE” control group. Students from eight intact high school PE classes (N = 257, Mage = 12.91) were randomly assigned to control (i.e., four classes) and intervention (i.e., four classes) conditions. Students in the intervention group were given a unique opportunity to choose their preferred participatory role in their PE units, while control students participated in normal teacher-led PE, and data were collected over a 15-week program (i.e., three units of five weeks each). The results indicated that a lack of choice in PE aligned with less positive perceptions of autonomy support among students within the control group, compared with their counterparts in the intervention group. In some choice formats, students exhibited significantly higher PA levels than students who undertook normal PE. These findings indicate that offering choice in high school PE lessons may encourage perceptions of autonomy support and levels of in-class physical activity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Barney ◽  
Francis Pleban ◽  
Jemal Gishe

The incorporation of music in the physical education (PE) environment during physical activity has been shown to be beneficial for participants. Karageorghis et al. (1999) created a conceptual framework focusing on asynchronous music, identifying four factors important to a given piece of music: rhythm response, musicality, cultural impact, and association. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two conditions, with and without the incorporation of music, in the PE environment on student moods in 948 junior high school students (501 males, 447 females). The conditions were measured using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) Short Form. Significant differences were observed in the mean scores of POMS between preintervention (without music) and postintervention (with music) for total mood disturbance, tension, anger, fatigue, depression, and confusion (all p values < 0.0001), as well as significantly higher mean scores for esteem-related affect and vigor (p values < 0.0001). Results from this study, and others, provide an impetus for PE teachers and PE teacher education to incorporate music during games/activities for the purpose of improving student moods and subsequent activity levels.


Retos ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 8-15
Author(s):  
Santiago Guijarro-Romero ◽  
Daniel Mayorga-Vega ◽  
Carolina Casado-Robles ◽  
Jesús Viciana

El objetivo del presente estudio fue comparar el efecto de una unidad didáctica intermitente de acondicionamiento físico en Educación Física sobre los niveles de actividad física y capacidad cardiorrespiratoria entre estudiantes con un perfil saludable/no saludable de capacidad cardiorrespiratoria. Ochenta estudiantes de 2º-3º curso de Educación Secundaria fueron asignados aleatoriamente al grupo control y grupo experimental. El grupo experimental, dividido en perfiles saludable/no saludable, realizó una unidad didáctica intermitente de acondicionamiento físico para mejorar la capacidad cardiorrespiratoria. El grupo control trabajó un contenido diferente durante el mismo tiempo y con la misma frecuencia, pero sin hacer hincapié en la mejora de la capacidad cardiorrespiratoria. Antes y después de la intervención, la capacidad cardiorrespiratoria se evaluó objetivamente mediante el test de ida y vuelta de 20 metros. Los niveles de actividad física fueron medidos objetivamente a través de un pulsómetro durante las clases de Educación Física. Ambos perfiles tuvieron mayores niveles de actividad física durante las clases de Educación Física que el grupo control (p < .001). Sin embargo, solo los estudiantes con un perfil no saludable mejoraron significativamente sus niveles de capacidad cardiorrespiratoria tras la unidad didáctica (p < .01). Aunque una unidad didáctica intermitente de acondicionamiento físico parece tener un efecto similar en los niveles de actividad física de todos los perfiles de capacidad cardiorrespiratoria de los estudiantes, solo mejora la capacidad cardiorrespiratoria de los estudiantes con un perfil no saludable. Abstract. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of a Physical Education-based physical fitness intermittent teaching unit on physical activity levels and cardiorespiratory fitness among students with healthy/unhealthy cardiorespiratory fitness profile. Eighty students from 2º-3º grades of Secondary Education were randomly assigned to the control group and experimental group. The experimental group, divided into healthy/unhealthy profiles, performed a physical fitness intermittent teaching unit to improve the cardiorespiratory fitness. The control group worked a different content during the same time and with the same frequency, but without emphasizing cardiorespiratory fitness improvement. Before and after the teaching unit, students’ cardiorespiratory fitness was objectively measured by the 20-meter shuttle run test. Participants’ physical activity levels were measured objectively using a heart rate monitor during Physical Education lessons. Students from both profiles had higher physical activity levels during Physical Education lessons than the control group (p < .001). However, only students with an unhealthy cardiorespiratory fitness profile statistically improved their cardiorespiratory fitness levels after the teaching unit (p < .01). Although an intermittent physical fitness teaching unit seems to have similar effect on physical activity levels of students from all cardiorespiratory fitness profiles, it only improves the cardiorespiratory fitness of those with an unhealthy one.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Jeremy Lackman ◽  
Jepkorir "Rose" Chepyator-Thomson

The purpose of this study was to understand freshman college students’ reflections on urban high school physical education (PE) programs and to discern the extent to which their experiences influenced college physical activity. Sixteen university freshman students enrolled in a college PE class who had taken at least one high school PE class in an urban school setting were interviewed. Data collection methods included open-ended semi-structured qualitative interviews. Using constant comparative analysis, the reflective findings of the study revealed that students who had positive experiences had increased college physical activity involvement.


Author(s):  
Seungho Ryu ◽  
Paul Loprinzi ◽  
Heontae Kim ◽  
Minsoo Kang

The purpose of this study was to assess trends in physical education and physical activity among U.S. high school students from 2011 to 2017, respectively, and to evaluate temporal trends in the relationship between physical education class participation and physical activity levels. Data from a total of 51,616 high school students who participated in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) from 2011 to 2017 were analyzed for this study. Physical education was measured as follows: In an average week when you are in school, on how many days do you go to physical education classes? Physical activity was measured as follows: During the past 7 days, on how many days were you physically active for a total of at least 60 min per day? Meeting physical activity guideline was defined as engaging in 7 days per week of at least 60 min per day. Across the 2011–2017 YRBSS, there were no linear (p = 0.44)/quadratic trends (p = 0.37) in physical education and linear (p = 0.27)/quadratic trends (p = 0.25) in physical activity, respectively. Regarding the trends in the association between physical education and physical activity, there were no statistically significant linear (unstandardized regression coefficient (b) = 0.013, p = 0.43) or quadratic (p = 0.75) trends; however, at the sample level, there was a slight increase in the odds ratio effect sizes from 2011 to 2017 (ES = 1.80–1.98). The pooled association between physical education participation and physical activity was statistically significant, OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.75–2.03, p < 0.001. That is, on average across the four YRBSS cycles, students who participated in physical education had 1.88 times higher odds of meeting physical activity guideline when compared to students who did not participate in physical education. The trends of physical education and physical activity did not change between 2011 and 2017. Overall, we observed a significant relationship between participation in physical education and physical activity. There was a non-significant yet stable trend of association between participation in physical education and physical activity over time.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Kerr ◽  
Lindsey Smith ◽  
Sarah Charman ◽  
Stephen Harvey ◽  
Louise Savory ◽  
...  

Children’s engagement in physical activity of a vigorous intensity or higher is more effective at promoting cardiorespiratory fitness than moderate physical activity. It remains unclear how higher intensity physical activity varies between days when schoolchildren participate in physical education (PE) and non-PE days. The purpose of this study was to assess how PE contributes to sedentary behaviour and the intensity profile of physical activity accumulated on PE days compared to non-PE days. Fifty-three schoolchildren (36 girls, 11.7 ± 0.3 years) completed five-day minute-by-minute habitual physical activity monitoring using triaxial accelerometers to determine time spent sedentary (<1.5 Metabolic Equivalent of Tasks (METs)) and in light (1.5–2.9 METs), moderate (3–5.9 METs), vigorous (6–8.9 METs), hard (9–11.9 METs) and very hard intensity (≥12 METs) physical activity on PE days and non-PE days. Sedentary time was higher on non-PE days than on PE days (mean difference: 62 minutes, p < 0.001). Hard and very hard intensity physical activity was significantly higher on PE days compared with non-PE days (mean total difference: 33 minutes, all significant at p < 0.001). During the PE lesson, boys spent more time in hard ( p < 0.01) and very hard ( p < 0.01) physical activity compared to girls. Schoolchildren spent significantly more time in higher intensity physical activity and significantly less time sedentary on PE days than on non-PE days. As well as reducing sedentary behaviour, the opportunity to promote such health-promoting higher intensity physical activity in the school setting warrants further investigation.


2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridgette E. Wilde ◽  
Charles B. Corbin ◽  
Guy C. Le Masurier

The purpose of this study was to examine the pedometer-measured physical activity levels of high school students (Grades 9–12). Comparisons were made between sexes, among grades, among groups based on level of participation in sport and physical education, and among groups based on levels of self-reported physical activity (based on questions from the National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System). Participants wore sealed pedometers for 4 consecutive school days. Results indicated no differences among days of monitoring but did show significant differences in mean steps per day between sexes, among grades, and among activity levels. Males took more steps per day than females did, and 10th graders took more steps than 12th graders did. Teens involved in sport and physical education took more steps than did those not involved. Teens who reported meeting both moderate and vigorous activity recommendations were most active, followed by teens meeting recommendations for moderate activity.


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