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 .
Evaluation of a pilot school programme aimed at the prevention of obesity in children.
This paper describes the development , implementation and evaluation of a school- and family-based intervention to prevent obesity in children aged 5 - 7 years . In addition , the efficacy of three different intervention programmes was compared . Children aged 5 - 7 years ( n=213 ) were recruited from three primary schools in Oxford and r and omly allocated to a control group or one of three intervention groups : nutrition group , physical activity group , and combined nutrition and physical activity group . The setting for the interventions was lunchtime clubs , where an interactive and age-appropriate nutrition and /or physical activity curriculum was delivered . The intervention lasted for 20 weeks over four school terms ( approximately 14 months ) . Children 's growth , nutrition knowledge , diet and physical activity were assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention . Significant improvements in nutrition knowledge were seen in all children ( p<0.01 ) between baseline and post-intervention , and results were highly significant in the nutrition and combined group ( p<0.001 ) . Overall , fruit and vegetable intake increased significantly ( p<0.01 and < 0.05 , respectively ) , with changes seen in fruit consumption in the nutrition group ( p<0.05 ) and the control group ( p<0.05 ) in particular . No significant changes in the rates of overweight and obesity were seen as a result of the intervention . Gender differences were not detected in the majority of assessment s and there was no clear effect of programme type per se . This pilot study has demonstrated that school may be a suitable setting for the promotion of healthy lifestyles in children , but requires replication in other social setting s. Future initiatives should be long-lasting , multi-faceted and sustainable , involving all children in a school , and should target the whole environment and be behaviourally focused . The ultimate goal of any such programme is to lead to positive behaviour change which will have a beneficial effect on long-term health . Successful targeting of the family remains a challenge to such interventions
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 .