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 .
CATCH: Family Process Evaluation in a Multicenter Trial
The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health ( CATCH ) is an elementary school cardiovascular health education field trial in progress in San Diego , California , New Orleans , Louisiana , Minneapolis , Minnesota , and Austin , Texas . Because a significant part of a child 's health behaviors are shaped within the home , CATCH is evaluating whether the effects of the school-based program are enhanced by the inclusion of a home-based program . A 7 x 7 x 10 r and omized design with 7 school-only and 7 school-plus-family intervention schools , along with 10 control schools is implemented at each site . The CATCH family intervention is implemented during Grade s 3 through 5 and consists of home-based curricula and Family Fun Nights focusing on healthier eating and increased physical activity during Grade s 3 and 4 , along with a smoking prevention curriculum in Grade 5 . CATCH is examining the effectiveness of family ( household ) involvement through changes in students ' dietary intake of fat and sodium . This paper describes the process evaluation methods used to document the extent of participation in the family program . Data reported for the third- grade Family Fun Nights held in the 28 family schools across all sites reflected an  average student participation rate of 67 % . The average family member to student ratio was approximately 2:1 . Participation by all third- grade teachers and the majority of physical education specialists was observed
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 .