There was some evidence that school-based physical activity interventions had a positive impact on four of the nine outcome measures .
Specifically positive effects were observed for duration of physical activity , television viewing , VO2 max , and blood cholesterol .
Generally , school-based interventions had little effect on physical activity rates , systolic and diastolic blood pressure , BMI , and pulse rate .
At a minimum , a combination of printed educational material s and changes to the school curriculum that promote physical activity result ed in positive effects .
Few changes in outcomes were observed in this up date with the exception of blood cholesterol and physical activity rates .
For example blood cholesterol was no longer positively impacted upon by school-based physical activity interventions .
The evidence suggests the ongoing implementation of school-based physical activity interventions at this time , given the positive effects on behavior and one physical health status measure .
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization ( WHO ) estimates that 1.9 million deaths worldwide are attributable to physical inactivity and at least 2.6 million deaths are a result of being overweight or obese .
In addition , WHO estimates that physical inactivity causes 10 % to 16 % of cases each of breast cancer , colon , and rectal cancers as well as type 2 diabetes , and 22 % of coronary heart disease and the burden of these and other chronic diseases has rapidly increased in recent decades .
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence of the effectiveness of school-based interventions in promoting physical activity and fitness in children and adolescents .
Pathways: A school-based program for the primary prevention of obesity in American Indian children.
This report describes the proposed intervention and outcome measurement procedures for the Pathways study . Pathways is a multicenter school-based study aim ed at reducing the alanning increase in the prevalence of obesity in American Indian children . It is design ed as a r and omized clinical trial , involving approximately 2,00 third grade children in 40 schools in seven diferent American Indian communities . During a 3-year feasibility phase , which was just completed , the major components of the intervention ( school food service , classroom curriculum , physical education program , and family involvement ) were developed and pilot-tested . The measurement instruments for body composition ; physical activity ; dietary intake ; and knowledge , attitudes , and behavior were also developed and vali date d. Comprehensive process evaluation procedures also were defined . As of this writing , thefull-scale intervention program is being initiated and is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 200 . The primary aim of the Pathways intervention is to reduce average percent body fat in intervention-school children  by at least 3 % compared with control-school children by the end of the 3-year intervention . This goal is to be achieved primarily by an increase in physical activity and a reduction in the perceni of dietary fat intake . The program does not seek to reduce dietary energy intake . Rather , it is based on the assumption that a healthier ; lower-fat diet , combined with an increase in energy expenditure by increased physical activity , will result in fewer excess calories deposited as body fat
There was some evidence that school-based physical activity interventions had a positive impact on four of the nine outcome measures .
Specifically positive effects were observed for duration of physical activity , television viewing , VO2 max , and blood cholesterol .
Generally , school-based interventions had little effect on physical activity rates , systolic and diastolic blood pressure , BMI , and pulse rate .
At a minimum , a combination of printed educational material s and changes to the school curriculum that promote physical activity result ed in positive effects .
Few changes in outcomes were observed in this up date with the exception of blood cholesterol and physical activity rates .
For example blood cholesterol was no longer positively impacted upon by school-based physical activity interventions .
The evidence suggests the ongoing implementation of school-based physical activity interventions at this time , given the positive effects on behavior and one physical health status measure .
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization ( WHO ) estimates that 1.9 million deaths worldwide are attributable to physical inactivity and at least 2.6 million deaths are a result of being overweight or obese .
In addition , WHO estimates that physical inactivity causes 10 % to 16 % of cases each of breast cancer , colon , and rectal cancers as well as type 2 diabetes , and 22 % of coronary heart disease and the burden of these and other chronic diseases has rapidly increased in recent decades .
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence of the effectiveness of school-based interventions in promoting physical activity and fitness in children and adolescents .