Contribution of School Programmes to Physical Activity Levels and Attitudes in Children and Adults

Abstract

Although children and youth currently form the most active segments of the population in developed societies, there is a marked trend toward an increase in sedentary lifestyle among school-age children. The purpose of this review is to analyse the effects of school physical education (PE) programmes on: (i) the physical activity (PA) levels of participants as children and adults; and (ii) attitudes toward PE and PA in the same groups. Based on the literature analysed, it can be suggested that a sufficient quantity of a quality PE programme can contribute significantly to the overall amount of moderate-to-intense PA of the school-age child. Schools also have the potential to influence the habitual PA of children by encouraging increased participation in extracurricular sports activities, by favouring active commuting to school and by providing exercise equipment and supervision for youth in their neighbourhoods. Most young children have a very positive attitude towards PE. However, as they grow older, their perception of PE as a positive experience seems to become more ambiguous. From the few studies available, it seems likely that quality PE programmes help to maintain initial positive perceptions. Future research should address factors influencing the change of perceptions as a child matures. In addition to offering a quality PE programme, schools should ensure that the total weekly amount of PE is sufficient not only to maintain but also to enhance a child's physical fitness. More research is needed to determine the ability of school PE programmes to influence PA behaviour in adult life and to evaluate strategies that will make optimal use of the curricular time allocated to PE.

Mission impossible? Reflecting upon the relationship between physical education, youth sport and lifelong participation

“…In addition, while both positive attitudes to PE and participation in organized youth sports significantly predicted physical activity in adulthood, the proportion of explained variance was very small. As with other similar studies (see, for example, Trudeau & Shephard 2005), the weak associations identified between attitudes to PE and involvement in youth sport and active recreation add little to our understanding of the relationship between them for two reasons: first, such attitudes are likely to reflect the influence of confounding variables (Telama et al, 2005) -not least of which would be family background, social class and gender -and, second (and as previously indicated), such studies are simply unable to disentangle the direction of cause and effect in the relationship between attitudes and involvement.…”

“…This broader conception of causation deals with likelihood rather than certainty and considers whether developments in one area (PE) appear more-or-less likely to create reasonably propitious or favourable sets of circumstances that might, in turn, impact upon leisure-sport and lifelong participation; such as a heightened disposition towards sport and active recreation. This approach to causation is the one employed by Trudeau & Shephard (2005) in their oft-cited study of the effects of school PE programmes on the physical activity levels of participants as children and adults, as well as the attitudes towards physical activity and PE among those same groups. It involves acknowledging the limitations of correlations while, at the same time, accepting that conclusions couched in probabilistic terms (in the nonstatistical sense) may not only be inevitable but the most appropriate for understanding complex social processes, such as the relationship between PE and youth and adult sport.…”

“…In a similar vein, Evans and Davies (2010: 768) point up the various assumptions that underpin the alleged capacity for PE 'to affect the dispositional resources (motivation/attitudes/willingness/desirefundamental cultural capitals) of pupils for performance or participation in sport in and out of school'. This taken-for-granted assumption -regarding the ostensible impact of PE on participation -finds expression not only among PE teachers (see Green, 2000Green, , 2003 and PE and sport science academics (Dixon, Warner & Bruenig, 2008;Corbin, 2002;Fairclough, Stratton & Baldwin, 2002;Flintoff, Long & Hylton, 2005;Haerens, Kirk, Cardon, de Bourdeaudhuij & Vansteenkiste, 2010;Harris, 2005;MacNamara et al, 2011;Shephard & Trudeau, 2000;Trudeau & Shephard, 2005;Xu, Chepyator-Thomson, Liu and Schmidlein, 2010) but also in government policy internationally (Hardman, 2005). Indeed, growing concern with young people's health over the last 30 or so years has resulted in a plethora of initiatives (Coalter, 1999) and pleas (see, for example, McKenzie, 2009) implicating PE in the promotion of physically active and sporting lifestyles among young and old alike.…”

Characteristics of School Campuses and Physical Activity Among Youth

“…16 While PE classes can be the source of substantial physical activity, 16 the time offered for PE can vary greatly among schools and by age or grade. 17 Excluding PE classes and recess periods, much of the physical activity occurring during the school day is instrumental, occurring as students go from class to class or to lunch. Therefore, the role of the school site, characteristics of the building, and potentially the space allotted for play and active recreation may be important factors in physical activity levels of middle school youth.…”

Quality Health and Physical Education: Facilitating a Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body

“…The success of health promotion strategies is enhanced when it is: multi-modal; strategically aligned to goals; interrelated with the school curriculum, teaching and learning, the school ethos, policy and environment; and, collaboratively developed with family and community partnerships. 13,14 In sum, school sport delivered in isolation to a child's education is a blunt, unsophisticated intervention instrument. A quality physical educator, working with children to develop autonomous motivation through individualized relationships remains central to the facilitation of a healthy mind in a healthy body.…”