Middle School Physical Activity Research Articles

Feasibility and acceptability of at-home play kits for middle school physical activity promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundSchools are central to providing opportunities for youth physical activity (PA), however such opportunities were limited during the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying feasible, acceptable, and effective approaches for school-based PA promotion amid pandemic-related barriers can inform resource allocation efforts in future circumstances necessitating remote instruction. The aims of this study were to: (1) describe the pragmatic, stakeholder-engaged and theory-informed approach employed to adapt one school’s PA promotion efforts to pandemic restrictions, leading to the creation of at-home “play kits” for students, and (2) assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of this intervention.MethodsIntervention activities occurred in one middle school (enrollment: 847) located in a Federal Opportunity Zone in the Seattle, WA area, with control data from a nearby middle school (enrollment: 640). Students at the intervention school were eligible to receive a play kit during the quarter they were enrolled in physical education (PE) class. Student surveys were completed across the school year (n = 1076), with a primary outcome of days/week that the student engaged in ≥ 60 min of PA. Qualitative interviews (n = 25) were conducted with students, staff, parents, and community partners, and focused on play kit acceptability and feasibility.ResultsDuring remote learning play kits were received by 58% of eligible students. Among students at the intervention school only, students actively enrolled in PE (versus not enrolled) reported significantly more days with ≥ 60 min of PA in the previous week, however the comparison between schools was not statistically significant. In qualitative interviews, most students reported the play kit motivated them to participate in PA, gave them activity ideas, and made virtual PE more enjoyable. Student-reported barriers to using play kits included space (indoors and outdoors), requirements to be quiet at home, necessary but unavailable adult supervision, lack of companions to play outdoors, and inclement weather.ConclusionsA pre-existing community organization-school partnership lent itself to a rapid response to meet student needs at a time when school staff and resources were highly constrained. The intervention developed through this collaborative response—play kits—has potential to support middle school PA during future pandemics or other conditions that necessitate remote schooling, however modifications to the intervention concept and implementation strategy may be needed to improve reach and effectiveness.

지도자중심의 여가교육이 청소년들의 신체활동 참여동기와 건강과 관련된 삶의 질에 미치는 효과 : 자기결정이론과 계획행동이론 중심으로

This study aims to test effects of instructor-based leisure education to facilitate adolescents’ physical activity (PA) motivation and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL).BR To reach study goals, we recruited after-school physical educators who teach students in after-school leisure-time physical activity in middle schools in Seoul. 171 students of instructors who were randomly assigned into either intervention group or control group. Both students of instructors were asked to completed the questionnaire twice over the after-school leisure-time physical activity course. For data analyses, SPSS Windows Ver. 23.0 program was used for testing the effects of instructor-based leisure education—i.e. interaction effect.BR As results, instructors who received leisure education (LE) became more autonomy supportive toward their students than those of instructors in the control group. At the same time, students of instructors in the LE showed greater autonomous motivation and higher level of HRQoL than those of instructors in the control group. In conclusion, instructors who received the LE were more autonomy supportive toward their students, and their students benefited from receiving autonomy support in terms of autonomous motivation to PA and HRQoL via after-school leisure-time physical activity. The findings showed that leisure education is important for physical activity instructors.

Improved Executive Function and Science Achievement for At-Risk Middle School Girls in an Aerobic Fitness Program

This study explored the effects of a middle school physical activity intervention for adolescent girls on the executive functioning involved in science learning. The girls, ages 11 to 14, were at risk for low self-esteem, sedentary lifestyle, and poor health outcomes. Executive function stems from interdependent cognitive control processes that influence goal setting and information processing, which complement higher order thinking required for acquiring scientific process skills. A 20-week informal triathlon training program served as the intervention for the treatment girls ( n = 29). The comparison group of girls ( n = 30) was randomly drawn from a matched sample of students of a similar demographic. Mean comparisons, ANCOVA, and Roy-Bargmann stepdown analysis were used to measure outcomes. The intervention contributed to significant improvement in several executive functions and science achievement. These results suggest that an afterschool program with a physical fitness component may improve the executive functions involved in science learning.

Can Dance Exergames Boost Physical Activity as a School-Based Intervention?

Children need opportunities to have physical activity (PA). Using exergames could be a feasible and acceptable way to boost PA in middle schools. Our goal was to increase PA by 40 minutes per week and to determine how much time, if any, was spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Eighty-four middle school youth were in a pilot study for 20 weeks: half in the Generation Fit (GenFit) intervention group and half in the control group. The GenFit group played the exergame for the first 10 weeks (Session 1), and the control group joined from 10 to 20 weeks (Session 2). The main outcome was exergaming time per student per week. Fifty-eight students completed the pilot after 26 youth at School C were excluded for administrative reasons. Of those remaining, 40 students at School A and 18 students at School B, the average age of the sample was 13.7 years (SD=0.6), and average body mass index percentile was close to 70. During Session 1, the average dance time per child was 49 minutes per week, versus 54 minutes per week in Session 2. Mean body mass index percentile decreased by 5.6 for children who participated in GenFit, compared with 0.2 for children in the control group. At end point, accelerometers showed over half of the dance time was spent in MVPA. Qualitative data showed that most children found the exergame acceptable. A dance exergame in middle schools offered opportunities for PA. About half of the exergame time was spent in MVPA. Exergames may be feasible and acceptable in middle schools to boost PA, and access could provide a way for schools to support the health of students.

Senate Bill 42: implementation and impact on physical activity in middle schools.

In 2005, the Texas State Legislature passed Senate Bill 42 (SB42), which required public middle school students (grades 6-8) to participate in 30 minutes of daily structured physical activity. The purpose of this study was to assess awareness of and adherence to SB42 in Texas middle schools, and to assess the impact of SB42 on the frequency and quality of structured physical activity. Key informant (school principals, physical education [PE] instructors, nurses, or designated personnel) telephone interviews on the implementation of SB42 were conducted from a statewide representative sample of public middle schools (n=112). Direct observation, key informant, and student report of physical activity in PE classes at 17 Texas-Mexico border middle schools assessed the frequency and quality of structured physical activity. State level (94% +/- 4.5%) and border district (94% +/- 13.5%) key informants reported a high level of overall awareness of SB42. Postimplementation of SB42 border districts reported a minimum of 4 days per week of PE instruction and more than 58 minutes per PE class, exceeding the 30-minute minimum of structured physical activity per day or 135 minutes per week as required by SB42 (range: 58.2-61.4 minutes). A significant increase in the number of days of PE class was observed in the border sample between 2004 and 2005 and 2006 and 2008, with eighth grade students reporting an average of 2.0 days and 3.7 days of PE per week, respectively (p < .001). Additionally, border districts met the Healthy People 2010 objective of 50% time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (mean 54.9% +/- 5.1%) during PE class. Implementation of SB42 appears to have impacted the frequency of school PE in Texas and the prevalence of child self-reported physical activity behaviors along the Texas-Mexico border. General awareness of and adherence to SB42 was high in both statewide and among the border districts. Our mixed findings on adherence to specific components of the legislation suggest the need for further investigation of the factors that both facilitate and inhibit local leadership around school policy and the mechanisms to ensure the school policy is being implemented.

Exercise‐based school obesity prevention programs: An overview

AbstractOverweight and obesity are major health concerns for young people. Schools are particularly promising environments for preventing and treating obesity. The Institutes of Medicine recommends 60 minutes per day of physical activity for children and youth, including at least 30 minutes at school. Yet the amount of moderate to vigorous physical exercise children and youth receive at school falls far short of these recommendations. Several intervention programs are supported by well‐controlled studies. These effective programs include Planet Health, the Stanford Adolescent Heart Health Program, Dance for Health, Cardiovascular Health in Children, and the Middle School Physical Activity and Nutrition. Unfortunately, the many methodological shortcomings and inconsistencies in the obesity prevention literature make it difficult to draw clear conclusions about effective program components. Specific resources and recommendations are included to guide school psychologists in improving their schools' climate for health. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Policies and Opportunities for Physical Activity in Middle Schools

Policies and Opportunities for Physical Activity in Middle Schools

Decreases in Physical Activity from Elementary School to Middle School in both Boys and Girls in Missoula, MT

Physical activity is linked to enhanced health and reduced youth onset of adult chronic disease. It has been recommended by the CDC that children and adolescents participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity most days of the week. Participation in physical activity declines in adolescence. PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in the physical activity patterns of Missoula, MT across elementary and middle schools. METHODS: 342 elementary and middle school students from 6 schools, grades 2-8, were randomly selected from a pool of volunteers. Descriptive data were collected. Participating students wore Actical ® accelerometer for 5 days on the non dominant wrist with data collected in 1m epochs. The data were corrected using a double pass smoothing spline developed in our lab. Activity count data were converted to activity energy expenditure (mlâЄ¢min-1âЄ¢kg-1) using the methods of Heil, et al. The data were evaluated for time in sedentary, light, moderate and vigorous activity and separated by age, grade, and gender. The data were further separated by looking at Elementary vs. Middle School physical activity in; weekdays vs. weekend; in school vs. out of school, time in recess, time in physical education and time in sport. RESULTS: There is a dramatic drop in overall moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) when students go from elementary school to middle school. The data also shows a significant drop in MVPA both in and out of school, during PE and in minutes of sport participation between elementary and middles school CONCLUSIONS: The large overall drop (36.13%) in physical activity from elementary to middle school is concerning. School and community programs are being developed by our team to work on these issues.

Explaining the effect of a 1-year intervention promoting physical activity in middle schools: a mediation analysis

The aim of the present study was to examine the mediation effects of changes in psychosocial determinants of physical activity (attitude, social support, self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers) on changes in physical activity. One-year intervention study with baseline and 1-year post measures of physical activity habits and psychosocial correlates. Fifteen middle schools. Boys and girls (n = 2840) aged 11-15 years completed the validated questionnaires during class hours. The product-of-coefficients test was used to asses the mediating effects. Self-efficacy for physical activity at school was found to be the only significant mediator of physical activity change. Specifically, self-efficacy for physical activity at school partly mediated the effect of the intervention on total and school-related physical activity change in the intervention group with parental support (P < 0.05). None of the other potential mediators, attitudes, social support, perceived benefits and perceived barriers, seemed to have had a positive effect. Even a suppressor effect was found for attitudes. Given that the effects of self-efficacy and attitudes were of opposite direction, the total mediated/suppressed effects of the intervention were not statistically significant. Positive changes in total and school-related physical activity in adolescents could be partly explained by increases in self-efficacy for physical activity at school through a physical activity intervention in middle schools with parental support. However, the suppressor effect of attitudes decreased this effect. As this is one of the first true mediation analyses in this age group, further research is needed to replicate the importance of these mediators.

School-Based Randomized Controlled Trial of a Physical Activity Intervention among Adolescents

Purpose To evaluate the effects of a middle school physical activity intervention, new in combining an environmental and computer tailored component; and to evaluate the effects of parental involvement. Methods A clustered randomized controlled design was used. A random sample of 15 schools with 7th and 8th graders was randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) intervention with parental support, (b) intervention alone, and (c) control group. The intervention was new in combining environmental strategies with computer-tailored feedback to increase levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity. The intervention was implemented by the school staff. Physical activity was measured through a questionnaire in the total sample and with accelerometers in a sub sample of adolescents. Results The intervention with parental support led to an increase in self-reported school-related physical activity of, on average, 6.4 minutes per day ( p ≤ .05, d = .40). Physical activity of light intensity measured with accelerometers decreased with, on average, 36 minutes per day as a result of the intervention with parental support ( p ≤ .05, d = .54). Physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity measured with accelerometers significantly increased with on average 4 minutes per day in the intervention group with parental support, while it decreased with almost 7 minutes per day in the control group ( p ≤ .05, d = .46). Conclusions The physical activity intervention, implemented by the school staff, resulted in enhanced physical activity behaviors in both middle school boys and girls. The combination of environmental approaches with computer-tailored interventions seemed promising.

Evaluation of a 2-year physical activity and healthy eating intervention in middle school children

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a middle school physical activity and healthy eating intervention, including an environmental and computer-tailored component, and to investigate the effects of parental involvement. A random sample of 15 schools with seventh and eight graders was randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (i) intervention with parental involvement, (ii) intervention alone and (iii) control group. In 10 schools, an intervention, combining environmental changes with computer-tailored feedback, was implemented over 2 school years. In five intervention schools, increased parental support was added. Physical activity was measured with questionnaires in the total sample and with accelerometers in a sub-sample of children. Fat intake, fruit, water and soft drink consumption were measured using food-frequency questionnaires. Results showed significant positive intervention effects on physical activity in both genders and on fat intake in girls. Parental involvement did not increase intervention effects. It can be concluded that physical activity and eating behaviours of middle school children can be improved by school-based strategies combining environmental and personal interventions. The use of personalized computer-tailored interventions seems to be a promising tool for targeting adolescents but needs to be further explored.

Body Mass Effects of a Physical Activity and Healthy Food Intervention in Middle Schools

To evaluate the effects of a 2-year middle school physical activity and healthy food intervention, including an environmental and computer-tailored component on BMI and BMI z-score in boys and girls. A random sample of 15 schools with seventh and eighth graders was randomly assigned to three conditions: an intervention with parental support group, an intervention-alone group, and a control group. Weight and height were measured at the beginning and end of each school year to assess BMI and BMI z-score. A physical activity and healthy food program was implemented over 2 school years. In girls, BMI and BMI z-score increased significantly less in the intervention with parental support group compared with the control group (p < 0.05) or the intervention-alone group (p = 0.05). In boys, no significant positive intervention effects were found. This was the first study evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention combining environmental changes with personal computer-tailored feedback on BMI and BMI z-score in middle school children. After 2 school years, BMI and BMI z-score changed in a more positive direction in girls as a result of the intervention with parental support.

Effect Of A Middle School Physical Activity And Healthy Food Intervention On BMI Z-scores

Effect Of A Middle School Physical Activity And Healthy Food Intervention On BMI Z-scores

Effect Of A Middle School Physical Activity And Healthy Food Intervention On BMI Z-scores

Interventions to prevent overweight intended to increase physical activity and to improve children's diet. The school setting offers several opportunities for preventing overweight. Schools have contact with parents and parental involvement can be important in overweight prevention. However, most of the previous school-based interventions were conducted in elementary schools and were not effective in reducing fatness or weight gain. PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of a school-based physical activity and healthy food intervention, designed to prevent the increasing prevalence of overweight and to look at the effect of involving parents. METHODS A random sample of 15 schools was randomly assigned to three conditions: intervention with parental support, intervention without parental support condition and a control condition. Two schools were left out of analyses because they did not meet the minimum intervention criteria. A total sample of 2141 7th and 8th graders (age 13.06 ± 0.82y) was enrolled in this study. The intervention was implemented over 1 school year and included environmental and personal modifications, related to food choices and physical activity behaviour. Measures were assessed in September 2003 and repeated in June 2004. Weight and height were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI). On the basis of the Flemish reference data BMI z-scores were calculated using the LMS method, taken age and gender into account. Repeated measures ANOVAS were used to evaluate the intervention effect. RESULTS When comparing the intervention with parental support condition with the control condition, there was a significant time by condition interaction effect for BMI z-scores in girls (F=8.87, p<0.01) but not in boys (F=1.67, p=0.196). In girls, increase in BMI z-scores was lower in the intervention with parental support condition (0.06 ± 0.05) compared to the control condition (0.12 ± 0.05). No significant time by condition interaction effects for BMI z-scores were found when comparing the intervention without parental support with the control condition in both boys (F=3.01, p=0.08) and girls (F=0.08, p=0.78). CONCLUSIONS The intervention with parent involvement was effective in reducing increase BMI z-scores in girls, but not in boys. Involvement of the parents is important to increase the effectiveness of the intervention. Supported by the Flemish Government.

Promoting Physical Activity in Youth: Focus on Middle SchooI Environments

The sharp decline in physical activity during adolescence is a national concem. However. few studies of adherence to exercise and physical activity have heen conducted with youths. This paper focuses on ecological approaches for promoting physical activily in middle schools. Baseline data collected in physical education classes. leisure time settings, and suuctured extracurricular programs during the four-year Middle School Physical Activity and Nutrition (M-SPAN) project are reviewed. Refocusing physical education goals, promoting gender equity in physical activity opportunities. and linking schools with conimunity agencies are recommended as means for promoting physical activity among adolescents.

SYMPOSIUM GIRLS AND PROMOTION OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: MULTIETHNIC YOUTH STUDIES IN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS

801 This symposium is to present findings from five research studies involving physical activity interventions for children and adolescents with a focus on girls. The objectives of the symposium are to 1) present the design and measurement methodology being used in these youth prevention studies; 2)review findings from the studies with a special focus on gender comparisons; and 3) discuss the implications for interventions to meet the needs of girls from diverse ethnic groups as well as future needs in measurement and research. Following introductory remarks, Dr. Pate will present cohort I data from the Lifestyle Education for Activity Project (LEAP) involving ninth grade girls (35% African-American) from 24 high schools in South Carolina. LEAP is testing the effectiveness of a school-based intervention to increase physical activity and fitness. Dr. McKenzie will compare baseline physical activity levels of girls and boys in the Middle School Physical Activity and Nutrition (M-SPAN) trial being conducted in 24 San Diego middle schools. Dr. Stone will present total daily activity minutes and types of activity for ethnically diverse fifth graders from 96 CATCH schools (CA, LA, MN, TX). Dr. Robinson will report baseline and year one and two results from an ethnically diverse students from 13 northern California elementary schools in the Stanford Obesity Presentation in Pre Adolescent (OPRrA) trial. Dr. Resnicow will report preliminary results from Go Girls, an intervention designed for inner-city (public housing) overweight African-American females to improve both diet and physical activity patterns.