Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Programming in Schools to Support Student’s Health-Related Fitness: An Observational Study

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines recommend schools use a coordinated health approach to support healthy eating and physical activity. This study examines whether the number of healthy eating and physical activity programs and activities used by schools and their perceived success relate to students’ health-related fitness. This observational study used data from the Healthy Zone Schools Program. Data (collected in 2017–2019) were integrated from three sources: (1) school surveys, (2) FitnessGram®, and (3) the Texas Education Agency. Independent variables were the number of health promotion programs and activities and their perceived success; dependent variables were meeting Healthy Fitness Zone Standards (HFZ) for aerobic capacity and body mass index (BMI). We used mixed-effects logistic regression models. Fifty-six schools were in the analytic sample (n = 15,096 students with aerobic capacity data and n = 19,969 with BMI data). Results indicated the perceived success of physical activity programs/activities was significantly associated with students meeting HFZ standards for aerobic capacity (OR = 1.32, CI = 1.06–1.63). There was a significant direct association between the number of physical activity and healthy eating activities implemented (OR = 1.04, CI = 1.01–1.06) and students meeting HFZ for BMI. Schools using multiple health programs and activities need to balance the number provided with their capacity to maintain success.

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Principal Components of Fitness: Relationship to Physical Activity and Lifestyle

Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1139/h94-015 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 200-214 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Roy J. Shephard ◽

Claude Bouchard

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Principal Components ◽

Hdl Cholesterol ◽

Cardiovascular Fitness ◽

Abdominal Circumference ◽

Caffeine Consumption ◽

Exercise Frequency ◽

F Factor ◽

Health Related ◽

Health Related Fitness

Interrelationships between metabolic and cardiorespiratory health were examined in 350 healthy adults. Four principal components accounted for 66.7% of the variance in 172 males (M) and for 62.4% in 178 females (F). Factor 1, "obesity," related to body mass index, abdominal circumference, total skinfold thickness, and (M only) abdominal/hip circumference ratio. Factor 2, "cardiovascular fitness," had loadings from resting heart rate and PWC150/kg. Factors 3 and 4 were related to total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol, respectively (plus blood pressures, particularly in F). Factor 1 was linked to caffeine consumption and to exercise frequency (F) or perceived intensity (M). Factor 2 was linked to perceptions of activity relative to others (M and F) and to the intensity of activity (M only). Factors 3 and 4 were associated with perceived fitness and physical activity relative to others. Because perceptions of physical activity and fitness lack consistency, it is suggested that health be judged more directly from simple measures of health related fitness that require little subject cooperation. Key words: caffeine consumption, cardiorespiratory fitness, gender differences, health related fitness, metabolic fitness, perceived activity

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Children’s Weight Gain and Cardiovascular Fitness Loss over the Summer

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15122770 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (12) ◽

pp. 2770 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Timothy Brusseau ◽

Ryan Burns

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Activity Intervention ◽

Cardiovascular Fitness ◽

The Body ◽

School Year ◽

School Based ◽

Health Related ◽

Physical Activity Programming ◽

The Impact ◽

Health Related Fitness

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of summer breaks on the body composition and cardiovascular fitness of elementary school children who participated in a multi-year school-based physical activity intervention. Participants were 404 children who had their height and weight measured and completed the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) during physical education classes at the beginning and end of the school year for three consecutive years. To examine the effects of time on health-related fitness data, general linear mixed effects models were employed. The results indicate that there was a trend toward an increase in body mass index (BMI) after the summer of 2015 (p = 0.958), and a significant increase in BMI after the summer of 2016 compared to time point 1 (p < 0.001). For PACER laps, there were trends toward decreases in PACER laps after the summers of 2015 (p = 0.515) and 2016 (p = 0.073). Summer breaks tended to attenuate the BMI and PACER lap improvements that were observed during the intervention. While school-based physical activity programming has had some successes in improving health-related fitness markers, the loss of these improvements over the summer is of concern to both practitioners and researchers. It is clear that additional efforts are needed to limit obesogenic behaviors during the summer months.

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Childhood Depressive Symptoms, Physical Activity and Health Related Fitness

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.25.4.419 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 419-439 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Lois Michaud Tomson ◽

Robert P. Pangrazi ◽

Glenn Friedman ◽

Ned Hutchison

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Relative Risk ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Physically Active ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Health Related ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health Related Fitness

While research has confirmed a negative relationship between adult depression and physical activity, there is little evidence for children. This study examined the relationship of being classified as physically active or inactive by a parent or a teacher to depressive symptoms in children 8 to 12 years of age (N = 933). It also assessed the relationship of playing sports outside of school, and of meeting health related fitness standards, to symptoms of depression. Relative risk of depressive symptoms for inactive classification was 2.8 to 3.4 times higher than it was for active, 1.3 to 2.4 times higher for children not playing sports outside of school, and 1.5 to 4.0 times higher for those not meeting health related fitness goals.

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