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 to reduce overweight and inactivity in children aged 6–12 years: study design of a randomized controlled trial
Background Effective interventions to prevent overweight and obesity in children are urgently needed especially in inner-city neighbourhoods where prevalence of overweight and inactivity among primary school children is high . A school based intervention was developed aim ing at the reduction of overweight and inactivity in these children by addressing both behavioural and environmental determinants . Methods / design The main components of the intervention ( Lekker Fit ! ) are the re-establishment of a professional physical education teacher ; three ( instead of two ) PE classes per week ; additional sport and play activities outside school hours ; fitness testing ; classroom education on healthy nutrition , active living and healthy lifestyle choices ; and the involvement of parents . The effectiveness of the intervention is evaluated through a cluster r and omized controlled trial in 20 primary schools among grade s 3 through 8 ( 6–12 year olds ) . Primary outcome measures are BMI , waist circumference and fitness . Secondary outcome measures are assessed in a subgroup of grade 6–8 pupils ( 9–12 year olds ) through classroom question naires and constitute of nutrition and physical activity behaviours and behavioural determinants . Multilevel regression analyses are used to study differences in outcomes between children in the intervention schools and in  control schools , taking clustering of children within schools into account . Discussion Hypotheses are that the intervention results in a lower prevalence of children being overweight and an improved mean fitness score , in comparison with a control group where the intervention is not implemented . The results of our study will contribute to the discussion on the role of physical education and physical activity in the school curriculum . Trial registration [ IS RCT N84383524
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 .