Elementary Students' Physical Activity Levels and Behavior When Using Stability Balls.

Objective: Physical activity is positively related to improved student behaviors. Stability balls have been used as interventions to affect student behavior. The objective of this study was to determine whether the use of stability balls elicits more physical activity than the use of regular chairs and whether stability balls positively influence behavior.

Impact of recess interventions on children's physical activity--a meta-analysis.

Objective: The purpose of this paper was to explore the effect of recess interventions on children's physical activity (PA) levels and to examine which specific interventions/characteristics have more influence on children's PA.

Data Source: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, ProQuest, SPORT Discus.

Study Inclusion And Exclusion Criteria: Papers published between 1986 and 2012, published in the English language, and evaluating any recess intervention with PA as an outcome.

Incorporating physical activity into the schools using a 3-tiered approach.

Background: Public health models have been used to address a number of school-based concerns, notably in the identification and treatment of students at-risk for academic or behavioral deficits. Significant benefits are associated with this model as, compared to a traditional approach, the focus is shifted from remediation to prevention, and from student pathology to student strengths.

Methods: Although this model has been applied to multiple populations and used across a variety of settings, it has yet to be conceptualized as a framework for the integration of school-based physical activity (PA).

Physical education's contribution to daily physical activity among middle school youth.

Little is known about the exact contribution of physical education (PE) to total daily physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the PA of middle school students during PE and non-PE days and determine if children would compensate for a lack of PE by increasing their PA later in the day. Two hundred seventy nine students (159 boys, 120 girls) wore pedometers (Walk4Life LS252, Plainfield, IL) during 5 school days, with at least two of the days including scheduled PE.

A pictorial view of the physical activity socialization of young adolescents outside of school.

Childhood obesity prevention has fallen short of anticipated impact. Therefore, intervention programs need to be redirected to other potential settings to increase youth physical activity. This qualitative study, using autodriven interview techniques, was conducted to identify out-of-school settings that youth perceive as important for physical activity.

Stability balls and students with attention and hyperactivity concerns: implications for on-task and in-seat behavior.

We evaluated the effects of stability balls on in-seat and on-task behavior of students with attention and hyperactivity concerns. A group of 8 students in the 4th and 5th grades was observed 3 times/wk for 12 wk using a single-subject A-B continuous time-series design. We analyzed data collected from standardized measures and classroom observations for mean differences across pre- and postintervention phases.

Effect of a low-cost, teacher-directed classroom intervention on elementary students' physical activity.

Background: Effective physical activity (PA) interventions are warranted for youth, and schools have been identified as logical locations for such involvement. Experts and professionals in the field promote comprehensive school PA programs, including classroom PA. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a low-cost, teacher-directed classroom-based intervention on the school PA of elementary children.

After-school program impact on physical activity and fitness: a meta-analysis.

Context: The majority of children do not participate in sufficient amounts of daily, health-enhancing physical activity. One strategy to increase activity is to promote it within the after-school setting. Although promising, the effectiveness of this strategy is unclear.

Promoting children's health through physically active math classes: a pilot study.

School-based interventions are encouraged to support youth physical activity (PA). Classroom-based PA has been incorporated as one component of school wellness policies. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the effects of integrating PA with mathematics content on math class and school day PA levels of elementary students.

National physical education standards: a summary of student performance and its correlates.

This study was one of the first to examine elementary student performance on the first four national standards for physical education (National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2004). Motor skill competency, strategic knowledge, physical activity, and physical fitness measures were collected from fourth- and fifth-grade students (N = 180) in the midwestern United States. Students demonstrated difficulty in attaining all four standards, particularly physical activity.

Test-retest reliability of a preadolescent environmental access to physical activity questionnaire.

Background: Physical activity behavior is an important aspect of overall health, and it is important to understand determinants of physical activity in order for children to accumulate the recommended levels. The ecological-systems theory describes the relationship between individuals and their contexts, suggesting that environment affects physical activity behaviors. Researchers should measure children's access to physical activity to determine environmental influences.

Physical fitness and academic achievement in third- and fifth-grade students.

The relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement has received much attention owing to the increasing prevalence of children who are overweight and unfit, as well as the inescapable pressure on schools to produce students who meet academic standards. This study examined 259 public school students in third and fifth grades and found that field tests of physical fitness were positively related to academic achievement. Specifically, aerobic capacity was positively associated with achievement, whereas BMI was inversely related.