Participation in school physical education and selected dietary patterns among high school students--United States, 1991.

Abstract

Inadequate physical activity and unhealthy dietary patterns (particularly diets high in fat and low in fruits, vegetables, and grains) established during youth may extend into adulthood and may increase risk for chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease and cancer (1-5). This report examines the prevalence of self-reported enrollment, attendance, and participation in school physical education (PE) and examines selected dietary patterns among students in grades 9-12 from two school-based components of CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (6): 1) the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (conducted during April-May 1991) and 2) individual state and local Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (conducted by departments of education in 23 states and 10 cities during the same time).