Movement Integration in Classrooms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Blake Densley
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Education Outcomes ◽  
Public Elementary Schools ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Movement Integration

The intentional integration of movement in elementary school classrooms—including both brief instructional breaks for physical activity, or the integration of physical activity with lessons—can benefit children’s physical health and education outcomes. Teachers are key implementation agents, but despite movement integration (MI) being considered an educational best practice, many classroom teachers do not regularly use it. The aim of this study was to obtain updated nationally-representative prevalence estimates in US public elementary schools, regarding four key outcomes pertaining to teachers’ implementation of physical activity: 1) school adoption of physically active lessons (PALs); 2) school adoption of physical activity breaks (PABs); 3) penetration rate to the classroom, defined as ≥50% of teachers using PABs; and 4) dose of PABs of at least 50 minutes per week. I examined variations in outcomes by school demographic characteristics, and hypothesized implementation facilitators (administrative support, financial resources, and presence of a wellness champion at the school). Surveys were distributed to a nationally-representative sample of 1010 public elementary schools in the US; responses were obtained from 559 (55.3%). In 2019–20, the weighted prevalence of schools having adopted PALs was 77.9% (95% CI = 74.3% to 81.4%), and PAB adoption was nearly universal at 91.5% (95% CI = 88.9% to 94.2%). Few demographic differences emerged, although PAL adoption was less prevalent at the highest-poverty schools (74.01%) and medium-poverty schools (77.0%) as compared to schools with the lowest student poverty levels (87.1%; p < .01). Across all four outcomes, associations emerged with implementation facilitators in multivariable logistic regression models. The prevalence of PAL adoption, PAB adoption, and dose of PABs were all significantly higher at schools where administrative encouragement occurred more frequently. For example, at schools where the administrator provided encouragement often, 97.8% had adopted PABs, versus 78.2% of schools where encouragement happened never or rarely (p < .001). Financial support was associated with implementation outcomes, including higher PAL adoption, PAB penetration, and PAB dose. Presence of a champion was associated with higher prevalence of PAL adoption. School leaders can play a crucial role in supporting their teachers’ use of MI within the classroom, including the provision of financial resources, encouragement, and supporting champions. Effective school leadership practices have the potential to positively impact health and education outcomes for children at a large-scale population level.

scholarly journals Implementation of Physical Activity in US Elementary Schools: The Role of Administrative Support, Financial Resources, and Champions

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4476
Author(s):  
Blake Densley ◽  
Hannah G. Calvert ◽  
Peter Boedeker ◽  
Lindsey Turner
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Public Elementary Schools ◽  
Nationally Representative

The intentional integration of physical activity in elementary school classrooms—including brief instructional breaks for activity, or integration into lessons—can benefit children’s physical activity and education outcomes. Teachers are key implementation agents, but despite physical activity in the classroom being an evidence-informed practice, many teachers do not regularly implement it. The aim of this study was to obtain updated nationally representative prevalence estimates in United States public elementary schools, regarding four key outcomes: (1) school adoption of physically active lessons (PA lessons); (2) school adoption of physical-activity breaks (PA breaks); (3) penetration in the classroom, defined as ≥50% of teachers using PA breaks; and (4) dose, defined as an average of at least 50 min per week of PA breaks. We examined variations in outcomes by school demographic characteristics, and by three factors hypothesized to be implementation facilitators (administrative support, financial resources, and presence of a wellness champion at the school). In the 2019–20 school year, surveys were distributed to a nationally representative sample of 1010 public elementary schools in the US; responses were obtained from 559 (55.3%). The weighted prevalence of schools reporting adoption of PA lessons was 77.9% (95% CI = 73.9% to 81.9%), and adoption of PA breaks was nearly universal at 91.2% (95% CI = 88.4% to 94.1%). Few demographic differences emerged, although adoption of PA lessons was less prevalent at higher-poverty schools (73.9%) and medium-poverty schools (77.0%) as compared to schools with lower poverty levels (87.1%; p < 0.01). Across all four outcomes, associations emerged with facilitators in multivariable logistic regression models. The prevalence of adoption of PA lessons, adoption of PA breaks, and dose of PA breaks were all significantly higher at schools where administrative encouragement occurred more frequently. Financial support was associated with implementation outcomes, including adoption of PA lessons, and penetration and dose of PA breaks. Presence of a champion was associated with higher prevalence of reporting adoption of PA lessons. School leaders can play a crucial role in supporting teachers’ implementation of PA breaks and lessons in the classroom, through providing financial resources, encouragement, and supporting champions. Effective school-leadership practices have the potential to positively impact students at a large-scale population level by supporting implementation of PA lessons and breaks.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Physical Activity Environments in Georgia Elementary Schools

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam E. Van Dyke ◽  
Patricia C. Cheung ◽  
Padra Franks ◽  
Julie A. Gazmararian
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Ethnic Composition ◽  
P Value ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Environment Factors ◽  
Public Elementary Schools ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Purpose: This study aimed to characterize physical activity (PA) environments in Georgia public elementary schools and to identify socioeconomic status (SES) and racial/ethnic disparities in PA environments. Design: A school setting PA survey was launched in 2013 to 2014 as a cross-sectional online survey assessing PA environment factors, including facility access and school PA practices, staff PA opportunities, parental involvement in school PA, and out-of-school PA opportunities. Setting: All 1333 Georgia public elementary schools were recruited. Participants: A total of 1083 schools (81.2%) responded. Survey respondents included school administrators, physical education (PE) teachers, and grade-level chairs. Measures: Physical activity environment factors were assessed via an online questionnaire adapted from school PA surveys and articles. Analysis: The chi-square and Fisher exact analyses were conducted to examine the reporting of PA environment factors overall and by school SES, as measured by free/reduced lunch rate, and/or racial/ethnic composition. Results: Overall, many PA environment factors were widely prevalent (ie, gym [99%] or field [79%] access), although some factors such as some PA-related programs (ie, a structured walk/bike program [11%]) were less widely reported. Disparities in school PA environment factors were largely patterned by SES, though they varied for some factors by racial/ethnic composition and across SES within racial/ethnic composition categories. For example, lower SES schools were less likely to report access to blacktops and tracks ( p-value < .0001), and higher SES schools were less likely to report access to playgrounds ( p-value = .0076). Lower SES schools were also less likely to report “always/often” giving access to PE/PA equipment during recess ( p-value < .01). Lower SES and majority nonwhite schools were less likely to report having joint use agreements with community agencies ( p-value < .0001). Conclusion: This study highlights SES and racial/ethnic disparities in PA environments in Georgia public elementary schools.

scholarly journals Mixed Methods Process Evaluation of a National Peer-Led Training Program to Increase Brief Advice on Physical Activity Given By Health Care Professionals

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Maxine E. Whelan ◽  
Liz Carlin ◽  
Hayley Musson ◽  
Emma J. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Program Improvement ◽  
Geographical Regions

Introduction: Health care professionals are well-positioned to encourage physical activity. The Clinical Champions Physical Activity Training Program (CCTP) aimed to increase population-level physical activity across England. This study aimed to (1) evaluate CCTP uptake and utilization; (2) explore CCTP fidelity, barriers, facilitators, and satisfaction; and (3) provide recommendations for program improvement. Methods: Physical Activity Clinical Champions were recruited and trained to deliver training to other health care professionals about physical activity. The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework was used to conduct a process evaluation using data collected from CCTP training sessions delivered (often at hospitals and General Practitioner surgeries) between February and December 2018. Results: About 509 training sessions were delivered, with 89% of sessions delivered by doctor/physician and nurse Clinical Champions; 8917 health care professionals attended a training session. Sessions lasted on average 1 hour 28 minutes and core slide sets were used in 65% of sessions. Barriers related to arranging the sessions and time available to deliver sessions. Conclusion: The process evaluation demonstrated a national peer-led training program can reach all geographical regions of England; however, barriers need to be addressed. Recommendations include providing more administrative support to the Clinical Champions, improving communication and advertising to raise awareness of the CCTP, and standardizing training session duration and content.

scholarly journals Exploring the Association Between Electronic Wearable Device Use and Levels of Physical Activity Among Individuals With Depression and Anxiety: A Population Level Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Onyeaka ◽  
Joe Firth ◽  
Valentine Enemuo ◽  
Chioma Muoghalu ◽  
John Naslund ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
United States ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional

Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the cross-sectional association between self-reported use of electronic wearable devices (EWDs) and the levels of physical activity among a representative sample of adults with depression and anxiety in the United States.Methods: For this cross-sectional study, data were pooled from the Health Information National Trends Survey 2019. A sample of 1,139 adults with self-reported depression and anxiety (60.9% women; mean age of 52.5 years) was analyzed. The levels of physical activity and prevalence of EWD utilization were self-reported. The chi-square tests were used to compare individual characteristics through the use of EWDs. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to investigate the association between EWDs and physical activity levels while adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related factors.Results: From the 1,139 adults with self-reported depression and anxiety, 261 (weighted percentage 28.1%) endorsed using EWD in the last year. After adjusting for covariates, the use of EWDs was only significantly associated with a higher odds of reporting intention to lose weight (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.04, 4.35; p = 0.04). We found no association between the use of EWDs and meeting the national weekly recommendation for physical activity or resistance/strength exercise training.Conclusion: About three in 10 adults suffering from depression and anxiety in the United States reported using EWDs in the last year. The current study findings indicate that among people living with mental illness, EWD use is associated with higher odds of weight loss intent suggesting that EWDs may serve as an opening for the clinical interactions around physical health through identifying patients primed for behavior change. Further large-scale studies using randomized trial designs are needed to examine the causal relationships between EWDs and the physical activity of people with mental health conditions.

scholarly journals Testing Self-Report Time-Use Diaries against Objective Instruments in Real Time

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 318-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Gershuny ◽  
Teresa Harms ◽  
Aiden Doherty ◽  
Emma Thomas ◽  
Karen Milton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Time Use ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Objective Criterion ◽  
Diary Studies ◽  
Aggregate Sample ◽  
Metabolic Equivalent Of Task ◽  
Activity Questionnaires

This study provides a new test of time-use diary methodology, comparing diaries with a pair of objective criterion measures: wearable cameras and accelerometers. A volunteer sample of respondents ( n = 148) completed conventional self-report paper time-use diaries using the standard UK Harmonised European Time Use Study (HETUS) instrument. On the diary day, respondents wore a camera that continuously recorded images of their activities during waking hours (approximately 1,500–2,000 images/day) and also an accelerometer that tracked their physical activity continuously throughout the 24-hour period covered by the diary. Of the initial 148 participants recruited, 131 returned usable diary and camera records, of whom 124 also provided a usable whole-day accelerometer record. The comparison of the diary data with the camera and accelerometer records strongly supports the use of diary methodology at both the aggregate (sample) and individual levels. It provides evidence that time-use data could be used to complement physical activity questionnaires for providing population-level estimates of physical activity. It also implies new opportunities for investigating techniques for calibrating metabolic equivalent of task (MET) attributions to daily activities using large-scale, population-representative time-use diary studies.

scholarly journals Intake of stimulant foods is associated with development of parasomnias in children

2015 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-66
Author(s):  
Fabiana Ruotolo ◽  
Lucila B. F. Prado ◽  
Vanessa R. Ferreira ◽  
Gilmar F. Prado ◽  
Luciane B. C. Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Sleep Disturbance ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Food Type ◽  
Dietary Recall ◽  
Starting Time ◽  
Public Elementary Schools ◽  
Nighttime Feeding

ABSTRACT Objective To verify if nighttime feeding habits can influence parasomnia in children. Method Seven private and four public Elementary Schools took part in the study. A total of 595 Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children were distributed to the parents of children aged from 7 to 8 years. Data of dietary recall, starting time to school, physical activity, and nutritional status were studied. Results Of the 226 questionnaires completed, 92 (41%) reported parasomnia. Girls had 2.3 times more the chance to parasomnia than boys. Children who consumed stimulant foods had 2.6 times more chance to have parasomnia than those of children who consumed non-stimulant foods. There were no difference between parasomnia and no-parasomnia groups in food type (p = 0.78) or timing of last meal before bedtime (p = 0.50). Conclusion Our findings suggest that intake of stimulant foods is associated with development of parasomnia in children.

scholarly journals Bridging Public Health and Education: Results of a School-Based Physical Activity Program to Increase Student Fitness

2017 ◽  
Vol 132 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 81S-87S ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon L. Barrett-Williams ◽  
Padra Franks ◽  
Christi Kay ◽  
Adria Meyer ◽  
Kelly Cornett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
After School ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
School Based ◽  
Public Elementary Schools ◽  
Physical Activity Programs ◽  
The Impact

Objective: Power Up for 30 (PU30) is a schoolwide intervention that encourages schools to provide an additional 30 minutes of physical activity during the school day, beyond physical education. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of PU30 on Georgia public elementary schools and their students. Methods: A total of 719 of 1320 public elementary schools in Georgia that were sent a baseline survey about school physical activity during October 2013 to September 2014 completed the survey, 160 of which were asked to complete a second survey. In the interim (March to June 2015), half (80) of these schools implemented the PU30 program. The interim surveys, which were completed during March to June 2015, assessed opportunities for student physical activity and staff member professional development focused on student physical activity. Results: Compared with schools that had not implemented the program, more schools using the PU30 program reported offering before- and after-school physical activity programs. Forty-four of 78 (57%) PU30 schools compared with 20 of 53 (38%) non-PU30 schools offered before-school physical activity programs. Likewise, more PU30 schools than non-PU30 schools offered after-school physical activity programs (35% vs 16%), and a greater proportion of students at PU30 schools compared with non-PU30 schools met fitness benchmarks: recess 5 days per week (91% [288 of 323] vs 80% [273 of 341]), offering ≥11 minutes per day of classroom-based physical activity (39% [53 of 136] vs 25% [47 of 189] for kindergarten through second grade; 20% [37 of 187] vs 6% [9 of 152] for grades 3 through 5), and receiving physical activity–related professional development time (42% [136 of 323] vs 14% [48 of 341]). Conclusions: The surveys provided a statewide picture of the physical activity opportunities offered to students and staff members in Georgia elementary schools and demonstrated the effective use of a comprehensive, multicomponent program to offer more school-based physical activity opportunities and to improve student fitness.

Comprehensive Policies to Support Comprehensive Practices: Physical Activity in Elementary Schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-322
Author(s):  
Hannah G. Calvert ◽  
Lindsey Turner ◽  
Julien Leider ◽  
Elizabeth Piekarz-Porter ◽  
Jamie F. Chriqui
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
State Level ◽  
School Nutrition ◽  
The State ◽  
District Level ◽  
Cost Study ◽  
School Day ◽  
Nationally Representative

Background: Schools are a setting in which students learn about the importance of lifelong physical activity (PA). Best practice guidelines indicate that schools should provide students with adequate physical education (PE) minutes and opportunities to engage in PA throughout the school day. Methods: Data from the nationally representative School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study in 2014–2015 were utilized to assess PA practices (including PE) at 412 public elementary schools. These data were linked to state- and district-level policy data from the National Wellness Policy Study to examine the relationships between state law and school district policies and school practices. Results: Just over half of the schools were in a state with a policy regarding PE minutes. The comprehensiveness and strength of PA policies were higher at the district level than the state level, but were still low overall. Comprehensiveness of PA policies at the state level, but not at the district level, was related to schools within those states that provide more PA practices. Conclusions: Existence of PE and PA policies at the state level appears to be an important predictor of school PA practices. Having more comprehensive policies at the state level may be an important facilitator of school implementation of comprehensive PA practices.

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