Comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) aim to increase students' physical activity opportunities across the entire school day. Targeted areas include physical education, classes throughout the curriculum, before and after school settings, and time spent both with families and in the community. Home fun (formally known as…

Schools around the nation are attempting to increase the amount of physical activity (PA) students receive through a variety of creative means. Recently, organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) have sounded an alarm about the lack of time children spend in PA participation. The purpose…

The 2018 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth reported that only 24% of U.S. children and youth ages 6 to 17 meet the national recommendation of 60 minutes of daily physical activity, grading the nation at a D-. Schools can help students meet this national recommendation, as close to 60 million children and adolescents attend…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterise parents' concerns for their children's health behaviour and perceptions of motivators and barriers to positive child health behaviour change, and to determine associations between motivators and barriers and parents' priorities for a school-based healthy lifestyle programme. Design:…

Obesity rates, mental illnesses, and emotional health and well being pose a significant problem for today's youth. Family and community involvement have been shown to improve school readiness, academic achievement, and graduation rates. The Whole School Whole Community Whole Child (WSCC) is a ten-component model designed to work synergistically to…

In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic upended our country, leading to a hunger and education crisis like we have never seen before. This report reflects on the role schools play in supporting a culture of wellness; the opportunities, trends, barriers and reasons why schools have been the great equalizer in America, where the minority is the…

The purposes of this exploratory qualitative research were to describe perceptions related to childhood obesity of rural parents, teachers, and school administrators and to examine how their perceptions shape their choices and behaviors for children's eating and physical exercise. The results showed that the perceptions of childhood obesity in the…

Physical activity is associated with numerous academic and health benefits. Furthermore, schools have been identified as an ideal location to promote physical activity as most youth attend school regularly from ages 5-18. Unfortunately, in an effort to increase academic learning time, schools have been eliminating traditional activity…

This Report Card presents an overview of inequalities in child well-being in 41 countries of the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It focuses on 'bottom-end inequality' -- the gap between children at the bottom and those in the middle -- and addresses the question 'how far behind are…

A Comprehensive School-based Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) represents a commitment to support the health and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and the community. A CSPAP is a similar approach that specifically focuses on incorporating additional physical activity opportunities for youth within the school day and beyond physical education…

This report is a compendium of indicators about our Nation's young people. The report, the 20th produced by the Forum, presents 41 key indicators on important aspects of children's lives. These indicators are drawn from the most reliable Federal statistics, are easily understood by broad audiences, are objectively based on substantial research,…

Childhood obesity is on the rise across the country and in North Carolina, with four times as many children exhibiting signs of obesity now as they did 20 years ago. The costs in terms of medical expenses are staggering, with one estimate putting the cost to North Carolina at $16 million a year. Some North Carolina legislators have expressed…

Describes hemophilia and ways to provide appropriate physical education experiences to children with hemophilia. The article focuses on what hemophilia is, how to treat hemophilia, benefits of physical activity, how to teach children with hemophilia, choosing and modifying sports and activities, and safety and emergency situations. (SM)

The problem of childhood obesity and inadequate physical activity is growing, with the biggest physical activity decline occurring in high school. This paper discusses the need to promote physical activity at school and home and get children in shape. Two sidebars describe: National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and how to determine a school'…

This publication presents information on physical activity among children and youth. Section 1 discusses physical activity patterns of young people, explaining that the issue has been a concern for educators and health professionals for several years because of the trend for children to become less and less active over time. Section 2 looks at how…