Classroom-based Physical Activity Interventions Research Articles

The Effect of Classroom-Based Physical Activity Elements on Academic Performance in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

Purpose: We investigated the effects of classroom-based physical activity (CBPA) interventions on academic performance and assessed the impact of different CBPA elements on academic performance. Methods: Relevant experimental studies in four databases were searched from their inception to September 2022. Random effects models were used to compute standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total of 13 studies were included. CBPA interventions could improve academic performance in children and adolescents (SMD = 0.17, p = .02). For the CBPA elements, low frequency (no more than three times per week; SMD = 0.19, p = .01), moderate intensity (SMD = 0.19, p = .01), long time (more than 20 min in each intervention; SMD = 0.14, p = .05), integrated physical activity (SMD = 0.18, p = .04), no more than 400 metabolic equivalents of energy-min/week (SMD = 0.33, p = .001), and more than 8-week interventions (SMD = 0.19, p = .04) tended to improve academic performance. Conclusions: CBPA may improve academic performance in children and adolescents. CBPA elements also have an impact on academic performance.

Identifying opportunity, capability and motivation of Sri Lankan 5th grade schoolteachers to implement in-classroom physical activity breaks: A qualitative study.

Classroom-based physical activity interventions have demonstrated positive effects in reducing sedentary behaviour among school children. However, this is an understudied area, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as Sri Lanka. This study aims to explore teachers' opportunity, capability and motivation relating to the implementation of an in-classroom physical activity breaks programme. Twenty-seven teachers were recruited through snowball sampling and participated in semi-structured telephone interviews from early-January to the mid-June 2022. The Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) model was used to guide and deductively thematic analyse the interviews. 21 out of the recruited teachers responded to the full study. The mean age of respondents was 39.24 years old ranging from 27 years to 53 years. Teaching experience of the respondents ranged from three to 37 years, and 57% were female. Three teachers had a degree with a teacher training diploma, while others were having General Certificate of Education in Advanced Level with a teacher training diploma as the highest education qualification. Capability factors such as age, dress code, mask wearing, knowledge, skills and workload of the teachers were identified as important factors in implementing a physical activity breaks intervention in a Sri Lankan classroom setting. Classroom space, facilities, student backgrounds and safety were identified as opportunity factors. Obtaining policy level decisions to implement the activity breaks and managing the time of the activities to reduce time lost in education time were identified as motivational factors. During the intervention development phase, implementation facilitators and barriers must be considered carefully. Behaviour change techniques can be utilised to address the identified COM-B factors to ensure a good implementation of the intervention.

Aligning Organizational Priorities and System Policies to Support Implementation Scale-Up of a Tailored Classroom-Based Physical Activity Intervention in Low-Resource Schools.

A mismatch between organizational priorities and system-level policies can negatively impact implementation and sustainment of classroom-based physical activity (PA) interventions. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) present methods to systematically identify organization- and system-level implementation barriers, and (2) align organizational priorities and system policies by designing multi-level implementation strategies. This alignment will support implementation scale-up of a tailored PA intervention in one low-resource intermediate school district (ISD; 16 districts, 32 schools) in central Michigan. Multi-level assessments of organizational readiness were conducted using the Hexagon Discussion and Analysis Tool to assess intervention-context fit, the Wellness School Assessment Tool 3.0 to evaluate district PA policy strength and comprehensiveness, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess administrative support and priorities related to PA programming. Our assessments revealed three implementation barriers: limited structural capacity to sustain teacher training, limited resources across districts and school buildings to support teachers, and misalignment of ISD and district PA policies and priorities. Greater attention to organizational capacity and existing infrastructure should be considered a priori to support effective implementation and sustainment of PA interventions in low-resource schools.

Psychological outcomes of classroom-based physical activity interventions in children 6- to 12-year-olds: A scoping review

This scoping review synthesizes the evidence of the psychological outcomes of physical activity interventions in the classroom in children aged 6 to 12 years and describes the characteristics of the physical activity interventions implemented. We systematically searched in databases MEDLINE, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and SciELO, of randomized control trials published up to July 2020 of classroom-based physical activity interventions with children´s psychological health variables as outcomes. Sixteen trials (14,877 participants) with children aged 6 to 12 years were included. There were significant effects on several indicators of: a) psychological health outcomes: well-being, self-esteem, body image satisfaction b) self-efficacy and motivation to physical activity and c) behavior inside the classroom: self-regulation, bullying and disruptive behavior. The most effective interventions are those that included physical activity integrated into the curriculum 2-5 times a week, in sessions between 4' to 10', implemented mainly by the classroom teacher and with audio-visual support. However, the heterogeneity in program designs did not allow definitive conclusions. While psychological outcomes are mainly primary outcomes in the interventions studied, more evidence is required on other indicators of psychological health such as mental health symptoms. In addition, studies need to employ objective measures of physical activity to a better comprehension of their effects on psychological health of schoolchildren. Keywords: Physical Activity; Children; Psychological health; Schools; Intervention; Scoping review.

Closing the Gap Between Classroom-Based Physical Activity Intervention Adoption and Fidelity in Low-Resource Schools

The adoption of classroom-based physical activity interventions in elementary schools is nearly universal (92%), but fewer than 22% of teachers who implement activity breaks achieve a dose of 10 min/day. Dissemination and implementation science frameworks provide a systematic approach to identifying and overcoming barriers likely to impede successful adoption and fidelity of evidence-based interventions. This review highlights the development and subsequent tailoring of a classroom-based physical activity intervention, Interrupting Prolonged sitting with ACTivity (InPACT), for delivery in low-resource schools using implementation science frameworks focused on equity. Unlike most classroom physical activity interventions, tailored InPACT includes a suite of implementation strategies (methods or techniques that support adoption, implementation, and sustainment of a program or practice) and, thus, has been designed for dissemination. These strategies were focused on increasing teacher self-efficacy and reducing multilevel implementation barriers in low-resource schools to promote intervention fidelity, effectiveness, and sustainment.

Rapid cycle adaptation of a classroom-based intervention to promote equity in access to youth physical activity.

Our objective was to systematically adapt Interrupting Prolonged sitting with ACTivity (InPACT), a classroom-based physical activity intervention, for home delivery to equitably increase access to structured youth physical activity opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key steps in the rapid-cycle research adaptation process included: (Step 1) identifying partner organizations; (Steps 2 and 3) engaging in problem and knowledge exploration to examine the problem from different perspectives; (Steps 4 and 5) initiating solution development and testing by selecting an intervention and adapting the format and content for home delivery. Using Rapid RE-AIM to guide online assessment and refinement of InPACT at Home; and (Step 6) utilizing dissemination strategies to extend the reach of the program. Core elements of the InPACT program that were retained included: the use of exercise videos, maintenance of the intervention dose, and teacher-led physical activities. Key adaptations included: utilization of physical education specialists to develop the exercise videos, incorporation of health messaging in videos, and utilization of dissemination strategies (intervention website) to reach K-12 students across the state. Intervention website reach included all 83 counties in Michigan, but goals were not met for website pageviews (5,147; 85% of goal) and video view duration (7 min 19 sec; 37% of goal). Accordingly, dissemination was expanded to include public television broadcasting (monthly viewers: 500,000) and videos were shortened to 8 minutes. Dissemination and implementation science frameworks guided the rapid adaptation of an existing intervention, InPACT, to equitably increase access to structured youth physical activity opportunities at home during the pandemic.

Understanding the Benefits of Brief Classroom-Based Physical Activity Interventions on Primary School-Aged Children's Enjoyment and Subjective Wellbeing: A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDEngaging in classroom‐based physical activity (PA) breaks may help increase children's subjective wellbeing and enjoyment of PA, important precursors for children to remain engaged in PA. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the effect of brief classroom‐based PA interventions on primary school children's subjective wellbeing and enjoyment of PA.METHODSDatabases were reviewed between the earliest date of records and April 2020. Eligibility criteria included peer‐reviewed empirical quantitative or mixed methods studies reporting enjoyment of PA or wellbeing outcomes of participating in a brief classroom‐based PA program. Fifteen papers were included. Interventions supported 7022 child participants enrolled at baseline and 6286 children analyzed in interventions across 148 schools.RESULTSThirteen studies examined the effect of brief classroom‐based PA interventions on subjective wellbeing. Four found a significant positive effect for children in the intervention group (specifically for children's self‐efficacy in learning with video exercises, quality of life, and self‐confidence). Eight studies examined the effect of brief classroom‐based PA interventions on enjoyment of PA. Five studies reported a positive effect for children in the intervention group and only 1 study found a negative effect for 1 grade level of children in the intervention group. The remaining studies with wellbeing and/or enjoyment outcomes reported no significant effect.CONCLUSIONSFindings from these studies indicate that the integration of brief PA breaks may support PA enjoyment and specific self‐beliefs and quality of life perceptions that contribute to children's subjective wellbeing. However, more research is needed to confirm this effect.

Adding family digital supports to classroom-based physical activity interventions to target in- and out-of-school activity: An evaluation of the Stay Active intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: Interventions targeting multiple levels of influence and settings may have a greater impact on children’s total daily physical activity than those targeting a single setting. This study evaluated the addition of family supports to a classroom-based physical activity intervention.
 Methods: 6 schools were randomized to a remotely delivered classroom-based physical activity only (CBPA) or classroom-based physical activity plus family (CBPA+) arm. The latter added behavior change tools (e.g., self-regulation) delivered via text messages and newsletters to caregiver/child dyads. The intervention lasted for 7 weeks with a 1-week baseline and 1-week post-intervention assessment (9 weeks total). Children who enrolled in the evaluation study received a Garmin activity monitor, which was used to tailor the text messages and evaluate changes in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Caregivers completed surveys evaluating intervention acceptability.
 Results: The 53 child participants (CBPA n=35; CBPA+ n=18) were 9.7±0.7 years old, 64% were female, 59% were Black, and 23% were Hispanic/Latinx. Almost 90% of caregivers reported high satisfaction with the added family-based intervention content. Adherence to wearing the Garmin was higher in the CBPA+ arm. MVPA was low at baseline and during the first 3 weeks of the intervention (CBPA 7.5±3.1 minutes/day; CBPA+ 7.9±2.7 minutes/day) and increased by ~45 min/day by weeks 6-8 (CBPA 56.8±34.2 minutes/day; CBPA+ 49.2±18.7minutes/day). Changes in MVPA were similar between arms.
 Conclusion: The high acceptability and intervention engagement in the CBPA+ arm show promise for integrating mHealth tools to provide additional family support in multilevel multiapproach interventions targeting children’s physical activity.

Covid-19 Pandemic Decrease Physical Activity And May Affect Vo2Max Among School-age Children: Preliminary Results

Physical activity (PA) guidelines for school-aged children are set to get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day and are aimed to promote health and fitness. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, less than 10% of Canadian children met this target. Moreover, their PA levels have decreased since COVID-19 period. Thus, a cognitively engaging classroom-based physical activity intervention (COGNi-ACTif) have been developed to increase their MVPA levels while still meeting the educational curriculum. Here we are presenting the aerobic capacity (VO2max) preliminary results from our main study while the COGNi-ACTif intervention is taking place during winter 2021. PURPOSE: To provide a baseline assessment of PA levels and VO2max among children engaged in COGNi-ACTif program during COVID-19. METHODS: Children and their parents or legal guardians were recruited from 3 Canadian elementary schools (grade 4th), located in underprivileged areas. Measures included levels of PA reported by parents (pre/during-COVID-19 periods) and estimation of VO2max using a 20 m progressive shuttle run test. PA levels were compared with Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: 59 children (32 girls & 27 boys aged 9.8 ± 0.5 years old) completed the baseline assessment. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 47.5 % of the children did not participate in any organized physical activity during the non-school hours and only 1.7% of the children evaluated met PA guidelines. During COVID-19, reported PA levels decreased significantly (pre: 83.9 vs during: 45.4 min/week, Z = -3.742, p < 0.001) and the inactive rate increased to 69.5% while children meeting rate of the guidelines remained stable at 1.7%. The mean VO2max obtained during this baseline evaluation is significantly lower when compared to Canadian values (P50) for the same age group (girls: 29.3 ± 4.0 vs 48.0, boys: 32.4 ± 5.4 vs 50.6 mlO2/kg/min, respectively). CONCLUSION: In the current situation, elementary school-age children don’t reach PA recommendations and the COVID-19 pandemic situation may have enhanced inactive behaviour. To increase the PA level, innovating interventions should be considered, limiting the detrimental effects of PA and enhancing children’s health and fitness.

A Process Evaluation of A UK Classroom-Based Physical Activity Intervention-'Busy Brain Breaks'.

The gap between development of effective physical activity interventions and the wide-scale adoption of these interventions in real-world settings has been reported since the early 2000s. Evaluations have been criticised for failing to report details of context, implementation, adoption and maintenance. ‘Busy Brain Breaks’ was an intervention designed to improve fundamental movement patterns whilst increasing physical activity within the classroom. This evaluation study used a mixed-methods approach including questionnaires, observations, semi-structured interviews and quantification of class-level dose. Findings suggest that giving teachers flexibility and autonomy over the way in which they implement physical activity interventions may increase the likelihood of adoption. Time was frequently perceived as a significant barrier to the intervention, giving the teachers flexibility to implement the intervention when they thought most suitable allowed teaching staff to retain their autonomy and make the intervention work with their schedule. Children’s behaviour appeared to be both a facilitator and barrier to implementing physical activity interventions within the classroom. Whilst misbehaviour can pose as a barrier, children’s enjoyment acts as a key facilitator to implementation for teaching practitioners. Teachers interviewed (n = 17) observed that movement ability had developed as a result of the intervention and recognised co-ordination, balance and stability as areas that had noticeably improved. Conducting an in-depth process evaluation has allowed for greater insight and understanding as to how, and to what extent, the intervention was implemented within the school-based setting.

Adapting the InPACT Intervention to Enhance Implementation Fidelity and Flexibility.

Adapting classroom-based physical activity interventions are critical for program feasibility and fidelity in low-resource elementary schools. The purpose of this pilot study was to use Replicating Effective Programs (REP) framework to tailor the Interrupting Prolonged sitting with ACTivity (InPACT) intervention and evaluate its effectiveness on program fidelity in classrooms within a low-resource school. REP was applied to adapt program packaging, teacher training, and technical assistance to disseminate Tailored InPACT, a 20-week intervention where teachers implemented 5 × 4-min activity breaks per day. Tailored InPACT was implemented in nine, 3rd-6th grade classrooms in one low-resource school in Detroit Michigan (80% qualified for free/reduced lunch). Intervention fidelity was measured via daily, weekly, and end-of-study self-report questionnaires and direct observation. Throughout the 20-week intervention period, 3rd-5th grade teachers achieved intervention dose (5 activity breaks per day at an average duration of 4min 8s). Sixth grade teachers did not achieve intervention dose as they were only able to implement 2 activity breaks per day at an average duration of 4min 12s. These findings suggest 5 × 4-min classroom activity breaks per day is a feasible dose of classroom activity that 3rd-5th grade teachers can implement in low-resource classroom settings. Additional adaptations are needed to maximize fidelity in 6th grade classrooms.

A classroom-based physical activity intervention for adolescents: Is there an effect on self-efficacy, physical activity, and on-task behavior?

BackgroundClassroom-based physical activity is a newly explored avenue for providing physical activity opportunities to children within the school, but it is one that is showing academic gains in areas such as on-task behavior. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of pedal desks placed in high school classrooms. Three main objectives were examined: 1) the possible increase in physical activity self-efficacy among high school stu-dents in the classroom, 2) the effectiveness of pedal desks on increased physical activity among high school students, and 3) the impact of pedal desks on increasing classroom on-task behavior.Participants and procedureParticipants included 114 high school students in a traditional high school setting. All of the students were en-rolled in two Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) teachers’ classrooms. The design was quasi-experimental. Two teachers and their respective classes were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. The study included a baseline and 2 waves. Researchers gathered demographic information of stu-dents, as well as pre- and post-data on self-efficacy and physical activity participation. On-task behavior of stu-dents was also recorded daily by researchers via momentary time sampling.ResultsThe results indicated significance for self-efficacy confidence but not barriers to physical activity participation. When examining whether self-efficacy could be connected to student heart rate, no significance was found. However, treatment students did improve their mean heart rates from baseline to treatment. This increase was significantly greater when compared to the control group.ConclusionsThis study indicates that pedal desks may be one means for feasibly increasing light physical activity during the school day. This study suggests that self-efficacy for exercise can be increased and that light intensity physical activity levels may be raised through placing pedal desks in a high school classroom. Limitations are dis-cussed.

Brain Breaks® Physical Activity Solutions in the Classroom and on Attitudes toward Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial among Primary Students from Eight Countries.

Classroom-based physical activity (PA) interventions have received considerable attention due to improvements seen in academic achievement, classroom behaviors, and attitude toward PA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Brain Breaks® Physical Activity Solutions in changing children’s attitudes toward PA. Students (N = 3036) aged 8–11 years from schools in Croatia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, and Turkey were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group. The experimental group received Brain Breaks® videos during classroom sessions throughout the four months of intervention. Student attitudes toward PA were measured using the Attitudes toward Physical Activity Scale (APAS) before and after the intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a time interaction effect for all APAS variables except fitness. Time-by-group interaction effects with different effect sizes were found for most APAS variables, with the greatest gain effect noted in the experimental group for self-efficacy, followed by learning from the videos concerning PA benefits, exercise importance, and enjoyment from engaging in PA. This study provides evidence supporting Brain Breaks® in terms of learning experience, attitudes towards PA, and personal motivation. Using exercise videos is recommended as an interactive, technology-based PA solution that can be easily integrated into the school setting.

Impact of the “Thinking while Moving in English” intervention on primary school children’s academic outcomes and physical activity: A cluster randomised controlled trial

This study examines the impact of a classroom-based physical activity intervention on primary school students’ academic outcomes and physical activity levels. Students (N = 283) from nine primary schools located in New South Wales, Australia were randomly allocated to a control (n = 5 schools) or Thinking while Moving in English (TWM-E) (n = 4 schools) conditions. Teachers delivered three 40-min physically active English lessons per week for six weeks. The control condition continued with the usual lessons. For both conditions, assessments occurred at baseline and post-test. The TWM-E group displayed improved on-task behaviour, and improved grammar and punctuation scores. Despite minimal effect on overall physical activity levels, active lessons have important benefits for students’ on-task behaviour and literacy.

The effect of a curriculum-based physical activity intervention on accelerometer-assessed physical activity in schoolchildren: A non-randomised mixed methods controlled before-and-after study.

Classroom-based physical activity (PA) interventions offer the opportunity to increase PA without disrupting the curriculum. We aimed to explore the feasibility and potential effectiveness of a classroom-based intervention on moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and total PA. The secondary aim was to assess the acceptability and sustainability of the intervention. In a mixed-methods, non-randomised, exploratory controlled before-and-after study, 152 children (10 ± 0.7 years) were recruited from five schools; two intervention (n = 72) and three control (n = 80) schools. School teachers delivered an 8-week classroom-based intervention, comprising of 10 minutes daily MVPA integrated into the curriculum. The control schools maintained their usual school routine. Mean daily MVPA (min), total PA (mean cpm), physical fitness, and health-related quality of life measurements were taken at baseline, end of intervention, and 4-weeks post-intervention (follow-up). Data were analysed using a constrained baseline longitudinal analysis model accounting for the hierarchical data structure. For the primary outcomes (MVPA and total PA) the posterior mean difference and 95% compatibility interval were derived using a semi-Bayesian approach with an explicit prior. The acceptability and sustainability of the intervention was explored via thematic content analysis of focus group discussions with teachers (n = 5) and children (n = 50). The difference in mean daily MVPA (intervention-control) was 2.8 (-12.5 to 18.0) min/day at 8 weeks and 7.0 (-8.8 to 22.8) min/day at follow-up. For total PA, the differences were -2 (-127 to 124) cpm at 8-weeks and 11 (-121 to 143) cpm at follow-up. The interval estimates indicate that meaningful mean effects (both positive and negative) as well as trivial effects are reasonably compatible with the data and design. The intervention was received positively with continuation reported by the teachers and children. Classroom-based PA could hold promise for increasing average daily MVPA, but a large cluster randomised controlled trial is required.

Rationale and methods of the MOVI-da10! Study \u2013a cluster-randomized controlled trial of the impact of classroom-based physical activity programs on children\u2019s adiposity, cognition and motor competence

BackgroundAlthough physical activity (PA) integrated in schools’ classrooms have shown a positive effect on children’s behaviors, its effectiveness on cognitive functions, PA levels and other health variables remains unclear. This article outlines the rationale and methods of two classroom-based PA interventions (MOVI-da10!) on improving adiposity, executive function and motor competence in preschool children.MethodsA three-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) was carried out including eight schools (rural and urban areas) from Cuenca province, Spain. The schools were allocated to one of three groups: MOVI-da10-Enriched! intervention (n = 3), MOVI-da10-Standard! intervention, (n = 2), and the control group (n = 3). Around 900 children aged 4 to 6 years old were assesed at baseline (September 2017) and at the end (June 2018) of the intervention. The primary outcomes were changes in body fat by bioimpedance, executive function and motor competence. During a school year (from October 2017 to May 2018), children belonging to the MOVI-da10-Enriched! group performed enriched PA integrated into the academic curriculum including two active breaks lasting 10 min, 5 days/week. The children belonging to the MOVI-da10-Standard! group performed PA breaks (with low cognitive demand, where curricular contents were not reinforced) including two active breaks lasting 10 min, 5 days/week. In the control group, regular PA continued.DiscussionTo our knowledge, MOVI-da10! is the first RCT to examine the effectiveness of two programs (enriched PA integrated into the academic curriculum and PA breaks only) versus a control group on improving adiposity, executive function and motor competence in preschool children.Trial registrationNCT03236363 (clinicaltrials.gov), 31st July 2017.

Variability In Implementation Of A Classroom-based Physical Activity Intervention

Variability In Implementation Of A Classroom-based Physical Activity Intervention

The effect of acute cognitively engaging physical activity breaks on children's executive functions: Too much of a good thing?

ObjectivesAcute bouts of physical activity may have an impact on children's executive functions. However, the role played by cognitive engagement (CE) during physical activity remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of the study was to disentangle the separate and/or combined effects of physical exertion (PE) and CE, induced by classroom-based physical activity, on children's executive functions. DesignIn a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design, 216 children (Mage = 7.94, SD = 0.44, 49.1% girls) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions consisting of a classroom-based physical activity intervention varying in both physical exertion (high PE vs. low PE) and cognitive engagement (high CE vs. low CE). MethodsExecutive functions (updating, inhibition, shifting) were measured before and immediately after a 20-min intervention. To test whether a potential change in children's executive functions was due to the main effect of PE or CE or an interaction of both, three separate ANCOVAs were conducted. ResultsContrary to the hypotheses, there was a significant, negative effect for the CE factor in shifting. No effects were found in either updating or inhibition. No significant effects were found for either the PE factor or the interaction of PE and CE in any of the executive functions. ConclusionsThe results indicate that an acute bout of CE in classroom-based physical activity may deteriorate children's cognitive performance. These surprising results are discussed in the light of theories predicting both facilitating and deteriorating effects of cognitively engaging physical activity.

Classroom-Based Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Interventions in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

It is reported that 81% of adolescents are insufficiently active. Schools play a pivotal role in promoting physical activity (PA) and reducing sedentary behavior (SB). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate classroom-based PA and SB interventions in adolescents. A search strategy was developed using the Population Intervention Comparison Outcome Study (PICOS) design framework. Articles were screened using strict inclusion criteria. Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project quality assessment tool ( http://www.ephpp.ca/tools.html ). Outcome data for preintervention and postintervention were extracted, and effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d. The strategy yielded 7574 potentially relevant articles. Nine studies were included for review. Study quality was rated as strong for 1 study, moderate for 5 studies, and weak for 3 studies. Five studies were included for meta-analyses, which suggested that the classroom-based interventions had a nonsignificant effect on PA (P = .55, d = 0.05) and a small, nonsignificant effect on SB (P = .16, d = -0.11). Only 9 relevant studies were found, and the effectiveness of the classroom-based PA and SB interventions varied. Based on limited empirical studies, there is not enough evidence to determine the most effective classroom-based methodology to increase PA and SB.

A Classroom-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Elementary Student On-Task Behavior

ABSTRACTFew youths engage in the recommended amount of physical activity (PA). Many educators have concerns about increasing PA in schools, including taking time from academics, though studies show that school-based PA can be beneficial to academics. This study extends previous research on the relationship between school-based PA and time on task (TOT) by engaging students in teacher-led PA breaks in the classroom and observing students' on-task behavior for a longer period than previous studies. A third-grade class of 23 students from a rural New England public school was observed as part of a single-subject withdrawal design study. The class, therefore, served as its own control. Student on-task behavior was observed for 45 min following both inactive and active conditions using systematic direct observation procedures. The intervention consisted of 10 min of whole-body movement: 1–2 min of warm-ups, 6–8 min of moderate PA, and 1–2 min of cool-downs. Multiple measures of effect indicate that simple, 10-min, breaks for PA can improve TOT rates among elementary students. This study supports the use of brief breaks for PA to improve student TOT while also indicating that the effects persist for at least 45 min. This is valuable to educators who wish to increase TOT with a simple classroom intervention and for those who wish to help students meet the recommended amount of daily PA.