Objective. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the scientific literature that has examined the association between school-based physical activity (including physical education) and academic performance (including indicators of cognitive skills and attitudes, academic behaviors, and academic achievement).Method. Relevant research was identified through a search of nine electronic databases using both physical activity and academic-related search terms. Forty-three articles (reporting a total of 50 unique studies) met the inclusion criteria and were read, abstracted, and coded for this synthesis. Findings of the 50 studies were then summarized.Results. Across all the studies, there were a total of 251 associations between physical activity and academic performance, representing measures of academic achievement, academic behavior, and cognitive skills and attitudes. Slightly more than half (50.5%) of all associations examined were positive, 48% were not significant, and 1.5% were negative. Examination of the findings by each physical activity context provides insights regarding specific relationships. Conclusion.Results suggest physical activity is either positively related to academic performance or that there is not a demonstrated relationship between physical activity and academic performance. Results have important implications for both policy and schools.

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Relative to opposite- and same-sex students, both-sex students may be at elevated risk of injury, disease, and death by experiencing serious harassment and engaging in violence, suicidal behavior, alcohol and other drug use, and unhealthy weight control practices.

Programs to prevent HIV infection among adolescent females should take into account the complexity of sexual orientation and should address the needs and behaviors of sexual-minority youths.

Purpose-To evaluate the efficacy of two, theory-based, multi-media, middle school sexual education programs in delaying sexual initiation.Methods-Three-armed, randomized controlled trial comprising fifteen urban middle schools; 1,258 predominantly African-American and Hispanic 7 th grade students followed into 9 th grade. Both programs included group and individualized, computer-based activities addressing psychosocial variables. The risk avoidance (RA) program met federal abstinence education guidelines; the risk reduction (RR) program emphasized abstinence and included computer-based condom skills-training. The primary outcome assessed program impact on delayed sexual initiation; secondary outcomes assessed other sexual behaviors and psychosocial outcomes.Results-Participants were 59.8% female, mean age 12.6 years. Relative to controls, the RR program delayed any type of sexual initiation (oral, vaginal or anal sex) in the overall sample (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.54-0.77), among females (AOR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.31-0.60) and African-Americans (AOR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.18-0.79). RR students also reduced unprotected sex at last intercourse (AOR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.47-0.96), past three months' frequency of anal sex (AOR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.33-0.84) and unprotected vaginal sex (AOR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.36-0.95). The RA program delayed any sexual initiation among Hispanics (AOR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.19-0.86), reduced unprotected sex at last intercourse (AOR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.52-0.93) but increased the number of recent vaginal sex partners (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.01-2.82). Both programs positively impacted psychosocial outcomes. program, comparable in duration, delivery, and theoretical framework, to further examine how both approaches impact middle school students. The primary hypothesis tested whether students, who received either the RR or the RA intervention, would delay sexual initiation into 9 th grade relative to controls. Secondary hypotheses tested intervention effects on other sexual behaviors and psychosocial factors. Conclusions-The METHODS Study Design and ParticipantsA randomized controlled trial was conducted from 2006-2010 in fifteen urban middle schools in a large south-central US school district. Seventy-eight percent of students were classified as economically disadvantaged. Assignment of schools to one of three conditions (5 to the RA condition, 5 to the RR condition, and 5 to a control condition) was conducted prior to baseline assessment using a multi-attribute randomization protocol, accounting for school size, racial/ethnic composition (percent of African-American and Hispanic students), and geographic location.[18]Assuming 15% of controls would initiate any type of sex by 9 th grade, 25% attrition, intraschool correlations=0.005, and α=0.05 (two-tailed), an initial sample size of 1,500 7 th grade students was estimated to provide 80% power to detect 10% pairwise differences in sexual Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript initiation between intervention and co...

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This study evaluated All4You!, a theoretically based curriculum designed to reduce sexual risk behaviors associated with HIV, other STDs, and unintended pregnancy among students in alternative schools. The study featured a randomized controlled trial involving 24 community day schools in northern California. A cohort of 988 students was assessed four times during an 18-month period using a self report questionnaire. At the 6-month follow-up, the intervention reduced the frequency of intercourse without a condom during the previous 3 months, the frequency of intercourse without a condom with steady partners, and the number of times students reported having intercourse in the previous 3 months. It also increased condom use at last intercourse. These behavioral effects were no longer statistically significant at the 12- and 18-month follow-ups. The All4You! intervention was effective in reducing selected sexual risk behaviors among students in alternative school settings; however, the effects were modest and short term.