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 .
A school-based intervention for diabetes risk reduction.
BACKGROUND We examined the effects of a multicomponent , school-based program addressing risk factors for diabetes among children whose race or ethnic group and socioeconomic status placed them at high risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes . METHODS Using a cluster design , we r and omly assigned 42 schools to either a multicomponent school-based intervention ( 21 schools ) or assessment only ( control , 21 schools ) . A total of 4603 students participated ( mean [ + /- SD ] age , 11.3 [ + /- 0.6 years ; 54.2 % Hispanic and 18.0 % black ; 52.7 % girls ) . At the beginning of 6th grade and the end of 8th grade , students underwent measurements of  body-mass index ( BMI ) , waist circumference , and fasting glucose and insulin levels .  RESULTS There was a decrease in the primary outcome --the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity -- in both the intervention and control schools , with no significant difference between the school groups . The intervention schools had greater reductions in the secondary outcomes of BMI z score , percentage of students with waist circumference at or above the 90th percentile , fasting insulin levels ( P=0.04 for all comparisons ) , and prevalence of obesity ( P=0.05 ) . Similar findings were observed among students who were at or above the 85th percentile for BMI at baseline . Less than 3 % of the students who were screened had an adverse event ; the proportions were nearly equivalent in the intervention and control schools . CONCLUSIONS Our comprehensive school-based program did not result in greater decreases in the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity than those that occurred in control schools . However , the intervention did result in significantly greater reductions in various indexes of adiposity . These changes may reduce the risk of childhood-onset type 2 diabetes . ( Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Diabetes Association ; Clinical Trials.gov number , NCT00458029 .
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 .