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 .
Effects of a curriculum and inservice program on the quantity and quality of elementary physical education classes.
The primary responsibility for engaging children in opportunities to be physically active and learn physical skills rests with school physical education . This study evaluated the effects of a combined health-related curriculum and inservice program on the quantity and quality of  elementary school  physical education lessons . Seven schools ( N = 28 fourth- grade classes ) in one district were r and omly assigned to one of three conditions : 10 classes were taught in their usual manner by classroom teachers ( Control [ CO ] ) ; 10 classes were taught by trained classroom teachers ( TT ) who received inservice training and follow-up consultations ; and  8 classes were taught by physical education specialists ( PES ) hired by the research project .  Student activity level , curriculum context , and teacher behavior were directly observed and coded during a sample of 112 lessons over an 8-month period . Results indicated significant differences in both the frequency and mean length of classes ( PES , 26.7 min ; TT , 23.4 min ; CO , 18.9 min ) . Additionally , the curriculum and inservice program equipped trained classroom teachers to provide significantly better classes than were provided by controls in terms of student activity engagement , lesson context , and active instructional behavior , though their classes did not match the quality of those taught by the physical education specialists . This study is unique in its use of direct observation of lessons to assess a curriculum and inservice intervention
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 .