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 .
Promoting healthy weight among elementary school children via a health report card approach.
BACKGROUND As overweight continues to rise among children , schools seek effective and sensitive ways to engage parents in promoting healthy weight . OBJECTIVE To evaluate a school-based health report card on the family awareness of and concern about the child weight status , plans for weight control , and preventive behaviors . DESIGN Quasi-experimental field trial with a personalized weight and fitness health report card intervention ( PI ) , a general-information intervention ( GI ) , and a control group ( CG ) . Outcomes were assessed using a postintervention telephone survey , including process and outcome measures . PARTICIPANTS The intervention included 1396 ethnically diverse students at 4 elementary schools in an urban area . Telephone surveys were completed by 399 families from an evaluation sample of 793 . Intervention Families were r and omly assigned to the PI , GI , or CG and mailed intervention material s. The CG was mailed GI material s after the survey . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Parent awareness of child weight status , concerns , weight-control plans , and preventive behaviors . Group effects were significantly different by the child 's weight status , so results were stratified . RESULTS Among overweight students , intervention parents were more likely to know their child 's weight status ( PI , 44 % ; GI , 41 % ; CG , 23 % ) ( P = .02 ) . The PI parents planned medical help ( PI , 25 % ; GI , 7 % ; CG , 9 % ) ( P = .004 ) , dieting activities ( PI , 19 % ; GI and CG , < 5 cases ) ( P = .02 ) and physical activities ( PI , 42 % ; GI , 27 % ; CG , 13 % ) ( P<.001 ) for their overweight children . No group effect on concern or preventive behaviors was detected . Most parents of overweight children who read material s requested annual weight and health information on their child ( PI , 91 % ; GI , 67 % ) . CONCLUSIONS Among overweight children , the PI was associated with increased parental awareness of their child 's weight status . Although parents wanted PI for their children , more research is needed to test this approach on children 's self-esteem and plans for weight control
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 .