Abstract
Most youths fail to meet recommended public health recommendations for physical activity (PA) and schools have been assigned a key role in mitigating this problem. Charter school growth exploded recently, but little is known about these schools' support of PA. School websites offer public windows through which they can share information about their programs, policies, and values. Thus, during spring 2018, we completed a quantitative content analysis of specific information about PA on the websites of a representative sample of U.S. charter elementary schools (n = 759). Nearly all schools (97%) had a functioning website, but most (52%) did not mention even one of five PA programs frequently offered at schools: physical education (PE), recess, intramurals, interscholastics, and PA clubs. PE, a standard part of school curricula, was mentioned on only 34% of the sites. Although public health proponents identify schools as ideal locations for promoting PA, school websites are neglected both as a means for identifying the importance of PE and PA and as a vehicle for informing students about how and when to be active during the school day.
Highlights
Physical activity (PA) is essential to growth and development of children and adolescents and their current and future health (2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2018)
Questionnaires are often completed by those only remotely involved with a school's PA program and even when oncampus employees respond to questions, their answers may differ depending upon their position (Lounsbery et al, 2013)
Our results show the websites of charter schools across the U.S are rarely being used as a vehicle for advocating about PA or for promoting student engagement in on-campus PA programs
Summary
Physical activity (PA) is essential to growth and development of children and adolescents and their current and future health (2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2018). Schools are a key venues within the U.S national strategy to increase PA (CDC, 2013, 2014; IOM, 2013; NPAPA, 2016; Rasberry et al, 2015), especially because they are attended by most children for extended periods and offer diverse PA opportunities (e.g. physical education (PE), recess, classroom breaks, before- and after-school programs). National bodies have suggested that half of children's recommended daily 60 MVPA minutes be accrued at school (CDC, 2013; IOM, 2013). To meet this goal, a whole-of-school approach, frequently referred to as Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAP), has been recommended (CDC, 2013, 2014; IOM, 2013; Rasberry et al, 2015)
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