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 .
The Heart Smart cardiovascular school health promotion: behavior correlates of risk factor change.
BACKGROUND A growing awareness of health promotion and positive lifestyle change , coupled with the knowledge that cardiovascular risk has its origins in childhood , has led to the development of health promotion programs in the elementary school . While most school-based programs target specific behaviors or enlist singular intervention modalities , the Heart Smart cardiovascular school health promotion targeted the total school environment with a multidisciplinary approach to prompt the school 's varied institutions to implement changes in curriculum , school lunch , and physical education . METHODS Components of the Heart Smart environmental intervention included : ( a ) a school lunch program providing cardiovascular healthful food choices , reduced in fat by 30 % and in sodium and sugar by 50 % ; ( b ) a physical education program promoting personal fitness and aerobic conditioning ; and ( c ) cardiovascular risk factor screening , measuring fasting lipids and lipoproteins , anthropometrics , and blood pressure .  Changes in cardiovascular risk factor status , school lunch selection s , and exercise performance were compared . RESULTS Screening participants showed greater improvement in health knowledge than non participants . School lunch choices were successfully altered , and children whose lunch choices were cardiovascular healthful evidence d the greatest cholesterol reduction . Improvements in run/walk performance were related in predicted directions to the overall cardiovascular risk profile . Increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were observed at intervention schools . CONCLUSION Observations indicate a relationship between behavior change and physiologic changes achieved in a total school health promotion to reduce cardiovascular risk
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 .