The purpose of this research was to contribute to the childhood obesity mitigation literature by determining the PA preferences of obese/overweight (o/o) elementary students who participated in Club Fit!, a school-based PA program designed to engage the students in developmentally appropriate, moderate-vigorous PA and enhance their regard for PA…

Current concerns about a childhood obesity crisis and children's physical activity levels have combined to justify fitness lessons as a physical education practice in New Zealand primary (elementary) schools. Researchers focused on children's understandings of fitness lessons argue that they construct fitness as a quest for an "ideal"…

Physical activity participation rates in the United States have been in steady decline for the last 25 years, so much so that 60% of youth ages 9-13 years get no physical activity outside of school. This state of inactivity indicates that promoting participation in physical activity at a young age is of importance. For the present study, a…

This article addresses ways in which fitness tests can be used positively in physical education. We take the position throughout the article that fitness tests should be used as formative evaluation to further educational goals. We begin by discussing the different ways in which adults and children use fitness tests. The next section, the heart of…

Investigated overweight adolescents' attitudes toward the development of school-based weight control programs, examining their level of interest in participating and noting outcomes they desired. Interviews with 61 adolescents indicated they were interested provided the programs were enjoyable, informative, caring, and supportive; did not conflict…

This report describes an evaluation of The Class Moves On!, a relaxation exercise program designed in the Netherlands which encourages elementary students to engage daily in various physical activities in order to increase motivation, improve concentration, raise physical awareness, enhance sensory motor development, and promote self-care and…

A practicum developed and implemented a nutrition and fitness program for 90 kindergarten and first-grade students in an urban elementary school. The program was designed to make parents, teachers, and students more aware of nutrition and physical fitness requirements for proper growth and development. The 33-week program included: (1) pretest…

Many adolescents' health problems arise from preventable behaviors, such as unprotected sexual intercourse and the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. The 1992 Washington State Survey of Adolescent Health Behaviors (WSSAHB) was created in order to collect information on a variety of health behaviors among students in the state of…