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 .
Connecting Children to Recreational Activities: Results of a Cluster Randomized Trial
Purpose . Identify if outreach support increases school-aged children 's  participation in recreational activities . Design . Cluster r and omized trial . Setting . Sixteen schools in economically vulnerable neighborhoods were r and omized to either an intervention or control group . Subjects . Children in grade s 3 to 5 and their families were invited to participate . Intervention . Children in intervention schools were assigned a “ connector ” ( outreach worker ) to facilitate participation in recreation activities . Measures . The Children 's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment ( CAPE ) was the primary measure at baseline , middle , and end of 1 year . Demographics , body mass index , child physical and psychosocial health , coordination , and self-esteem were measured . Analysis . A generalized linear model was used to test differences between intervention and control groups . Results . Three hundred and sixty children enrolled , and 306 ( 85 % ) completed the study . A greater proportion of children in the intervention group compared with the control group increased participation in physical activity ( 21 % vs. 10 % , p = .02 ) . Children who increased their activity were more likely to have higher levels of contact with the connectors ( 31 % vs. 8 % , p = .001 ) . Study limitations included ( I ) 29 % of eligible families participated , ( 2 ) first use of the CAPE instrument as a longitudinal measure , and ( 3 ) connectors were not blinded to group assignment . Conclusion . Children living in vulnerable neighborhoods benefit from outreach workers to connect them with physical activity programs
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 .