A school-based physical activity program to improve health and fitness in children aged 6–13 years ("Kinder-Sportstudie KISS"): study design of a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN15360785] Walking or bicycling to school and weight status among adolescents from Montería, Colombia. One-year changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior among adolescents: the Croatian Physical Activity in Adolescence Longitudinal Study (CRO-PALS). A comprehensive physical activity promotion programme at elementary school: the effects on physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial correlates of physical activity. The effect of mere measurement from a cardiovascular examination program on physical activity and sedentary time in an adult population Does increased physical activity in school affect children's executive function and aerobic fitness? Effect on Physical Activity of a Randomized Afterschool Intervention for Inner City Children in 3rd to 5th Grade Associations between Physical Activity and Health Parameters in Adolescent Pupils in Egypt Influence of extracurricular sport activities on body composition and physical fitness in boys: a 3-year longitudinal study Kids Out; evaluation of a brief multimodal cluster randomized intervention integrated in health education lessons to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior among eighth graders Effects of a school-based physical activity program on physical and psychosocial quality of life in elementary school children: a cluster-randomized trial. A 10-Month Physical Activity Intervention Improves Body Composition in Young Black Boys Rationale and study protocol for the supporting children’s outcomes using rewards, exercise and skills (SCORES) group randomized controlled trial: A physical activity and fundamental movement skills intervention for primary schools in low-income communities Active transportation to school over 2 years in relation to weight status and physical activity. Systematic observation of physical activity in afterschool programs: preliminary findings from Movin' Afterschool intervention. Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC): a randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity and diminish overweight and obesity in elementary school children. Physical activity and skills intervention: SCORES cluster randomized controlled trial.
Background Childhood obesity is the result of a long lasting imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure . A major contributing factor is physical inactivity which is closely linked to bone health , cardiovascular disease risk , fitness and psychological factors . The school seems to provide an excellent setting to enhance levels of  physical activity ( PA ) .  However , there is insufficient data from previous school-based intervention trials on how to enhance overall PA . It is also unknown whether an intervention aim ed at increasing PA is effective in improving the children 's health . The purpose of this paper is to outline the design of a school-based r and omized , controlled trial ( RCT ) aim ing to increase overall PA and to improve fitness and health in 6- to 13-year-old children . Methods / Design 15 schools were r and omized to the intervention ( n = 9 ) or the control ( n = 6 ) group , stratified by geographic region ( urban vs. rural ) and by age ( 1st and 5th grade ) . Participation was given for all children in the intervention group since in this group the intervention was part of the normal school curriculum . The intervention during one academic year consisted of : 1 . two additional physical education classes per week given by trained physical education teachers adding up to a total of five PA classes per week , 2 . short PA breaks ( 2–5 min each ) during academic lessons , 3 . PA home work , and 4 . adaptation of recreational areas around the school . All children underwent  anthropometric measurements , blood pressure assessment , fitness testing , measurement of PA  and they filled out question naires . At least 70 % of all children agreed to blood sampling and measurements of body composition and bone mineral measurements by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry . The primary endpoints of the study after one year were an increase in total PA by accelerometry , an increase in aerobic fitness measured by the 20 m shuttle run , a decrease in percent body fat derived from skinfold measurements and an increase in quality of life as assessed by the child health question naire in the intervention group compared to the control group . Secondary outcomes were overall fitness , differences in body composition including body fat distribution , cardiovascular risk factors , psychosocial health , bone mineral content and density of femur , lumbar spine and total body and food intake . Discussion Our preliminary data suggest that the children were representative of Swiss children with respect to sex , socio-demographic status , and body mass index . Short-term results can be expected by the beginning of 2007 . We hypothesized that our intervention will lead to an increase in PA , fitness and overall health . Based on our data , we aim to provide important information regarding the influence of such an intervention on these outcome measures in school-aged children and to provide nationwide guidelines to improve PA in children BACKGROUND Active school transport ( AST ) is a recommended strategy to promote physical activity ( PA ) and prevent overweight ( OW ) in school-aged children . In many developing countries , such as Colombia , this association has not been well characterized . OBJECTIVE To determine the association between AST and weight status in a representative sample of adolescents from Montería , Colombia . METHODS Participants were 546 adolescents ( 278 boys ) aged 11 to 18 years old from 14 r and omly selected schools in Montería , Colombia in 2008 . The PA module of the Global School Health Survey ( GSHS-2007 ) was used to determine the prevalence of AST . To identify OW , participants were classified according to CDC 2000 criteria ( BMI ≥ 85th percentile ) . Association between AST and OW was determined by binomial logistic regression . RESULTS Odds ratios adjusted for age , sex , location of school , compliance with PA , and screen time recommendations showed that adolescents who reported AST had a significantly lower likelihood to be OW compared with adolescents who reported nonactive transportation ( OR = 0.5 , 95 % CI 0.3 - 0.8 , P < .05 ) . CONCLUSIONS These results support the importance of AST as a useful PA domain with potential implication s for overweight prevention , in rapidly developing setting s. Further epidemiologic and intervention studies addressing AST are needed in the region Background Little is known about the concurrent change in  physical activity ( PA )  ,  sedentary behavior ( SB ) and  sport participation  ( SP ) during adolescence . The main purpose of this prospect i ve and partly objective study was to simultaneously investigate PA , SBs and SP changes between the 1st and 2nd grade s of high school in urban adolescents . Methods In this 1-year follow-up study , the participants were 81 secondary -school students ( 28 boys and 53 girls ) aged 15.5 years at the baseline .  PA was assessed with the SenseWear Armb and multi-sensor activity monitor , while SBs were assessed by using School Health Action , Planning and Evaluation System ( SHAPES ) PA question naire . The SHAPES question naire was supplemented with two questions inquiring about SP in organized sports in school and outside of school . Results PA decreased markedly in both genders between the 1st and 2nd grade s of high school . Total energy expenditure ( TEE ) was reduced by 13 kcal/kg/day on average in boys and by 10 kcal/kg/day in girls ( p for both < 0.001 ) , while mean daily active energy expenditure ( AEE ) decreased by 7 kcal/kg/day ( p < 0.001 ) and 3 kcal/kg/day ( p = 0.04 ) in boys and girls , respectively . Similarly , the amount of moderate PA declined by 49 min/day in boys and 21 min/day in girls ( p for both < 0.001 ) . At the same time vigorous PA was cut by 14 min/day ( p < 0.001 ) and 3 min/day ( p = 0.003 ) in boys and girls , respectively . Conversely , time spent in SBs did not show any change . Conclusion In conclusion , a decline in PA between the 1st and 2nd grade s of high school was marked but was not accompanied with an increase in SBs . Policies aim ed at increasing PA should be targeting the period of entering secondary school to offset the observed drop in PA OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of a comprehensive physical activity ( PA ) promotion programme in elementary schools on children 's total PA levels , leisure-time PA , physical fitness and psychosocial correlates of PA . DESIGN A pre-test-post-test design over two school years . SETTING AND SUBJECTS Sixteen elementary schools ( 764 children , mean age : 11.2 + /- 0.7 years ) were r and omly assigned to the intervention condition ( n = 8) and the control condition ( n = 8) . The intervention included a health-related physical education programme , an extracurricular PA promotion programme and classroom-based PA education lessons . In the total sample , leisure-time PA , psychosocial correlates of PA and physical fitness were measured using a PA question naire and the Eurofit test battery . In a sub- sample , total PA levels were measured using an accelerometer . RESULTS According to accelerometer data , children 's moderate PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA ( MVPA ) levels decreased less in the intervention schools than in the control schools ( P < 0.01 ) . The average time spent on MVPA decreased by 9 min per day in the intervention schools compared with 33 min per day in the control schools . Children in the intervention schools reported significantly more moderate PA in leisure time than the controls ( P < 0.05 ) . No overall improvement of physical fitness and no effects on the psychosocial correlates of PA were found . CONCLUSIONS The comprehensive PA promotion programme was successful in preventing a decline in children 's  total activity levels . Furthermore , the intervention increased children 's PA engagement in leisure time . Therefore , implementation needs to be encouraged Background Measuring physical activity ( PA ) and sedentary time ( ST ) by self-report or device as well as assessing related health factors may alter those behaviors . Thus , in intervention trials assessment s may bias intervention effects . The aim of our study was to examine whether leisure-time PA , transport-related PA , and overall ST measured via self-report vary after assessment s and whether a brief tailored letter intervention has an additional effect . Methods Among a sample of subjects with no history of myocardial infa rct ion , stroke , or vascular intervention , a number of 175 individuals participated in a study comprising multiple repeated assessment s. Of those , 153 were analyzed ( mean age 54.5 years , st and ard deviation = 6.2 ; 64 % women ) . At baseline , participants attended a cardiovascular examination ( st and ardized measurement of blood pressure and waist circumference , blood sample taking ) and wore an accelerometer for seven days . At baseline and after 1 , 6 , and 12 months , participants completed the International Physical Activity Question naire . A r and om sub sample received a tailored counseling letter intervention at month 1 , 3 , and 4 . Changes in PA and ST from baseline to 12-month follow-up were analyzed using r and om-effects modelling . Results From baseline to 1-month assessment , leisure-time PA did not change ( Incidence rate ratio = 1.13 , p = .432 ) , transport-related PA increased ( Incidence rate ratio = 1.45 , p = .023 ) , and overall ST tended to decrease ( b = − 1.96 , p = .060 ) . Further , overall ST decreased from month 6 to month 12 ( b = − 0.52 , p = .037 ) . Time trends of the intervention group did not differ significantly from those of the assessment -only group . Conclusions Results suggest an effect of measurements on PA and ST . Data of r and om-effects modelling results revealed an increase of transport-related PA after baseline to 1-month assessment . Decreases in overall ST may result from repeated assessment s. A brief tailored letter intervention seemed to have no additional effect . Thus , measurement effects should be considered when planning intervention studies and interpreting intervention effects . Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov NCT02990039 . Registered 7 December 2016 . Retrospectively registered This study seeks to explore whether increased PA in school affects  children 's executive function and aerobic fitness . The " Active school " study was a 10-month r and omized controlled trial . The sample included 449 children ( 10 - 11 years old ) in five intervention and four control schools . The weekly interventions were 2 × 45 minutes physically active academic lessons , 5 × 10 minutes physically active breaks , and 5 × 10 minutes physically active homework .  Aerobic fitness was measured using a 10-minute interval running test . Executive function was tested using four cognitive tests ( Stroop , verbal fluency , digit span , and Trail Making ) . A composite score for executive function was computed and used in analyses . Mixed ANCOVA repeated measures were performed to analyze changes in scores for aerobic fitness and executive function . Analysis showed a tendency for a time × group interaction on executive function , but the results were non-significant F(1 , 344)=3.64 , P=.057 . There was no significant time × group interaction for aerobic fitness . Results indicate that increased physical activity  in school might improve children 's executive function , even without improvement in aerobic fitness , but a longer intervention period may be required to find significant effects Background Less than 45 % of U.S. children meet the 60 min.d-1 physical activity ( PA ) guideline . Structured after-school PA programing is one approach to help increase activity levels . This study aim ed to evaluate the feasibility and short-term impact of a supervised after-school PA and nutrition education program on activity levels . Methods Forty-two 3rd-5th grade rs from an inner-city school in Boston , MA were r and omly assigned to a 10-wk after-school program of either : 1 ) weekly nutrition education  , or 2 ) weekly nutrition education plus supervised PA 3 d.wk-1 at a community-based center . At baseline and follow-up , PA was measured using accelerometry and fitness ( VO2max ) was estimated using the PACER 15-m shuttle run . Additional measures obtained were non-fasting finger stick total cholesterol ( TC ) and glucose levels , waist circumference ( WC ) , body mass index ( BMI ) , percent body fat ( % BF ) , and blood pressure ( BP ) . Values are presented as mean±SE , unless noted otherwise . Results Thirty-six participants completed the study ( mean±SD ; age 9.7±0.9 years ) . Participants attended > 80 % of the sessions . After adjusting for accelerometer wear time and other design factors , light and moderate-to-vigorous PA ( MVPA ) increased in the nutrition+PA group ( + 21.5±14.5 and + 8.6±8.0 min.d-1 , respectively ) and decreased in the nutrition only group ( -35.2±16.3 and -16.0±9.0 min.d-1 , respectively ) ; mean difference between groups of 56.8±21.7 min.d-1 ( light PA , p = 0.01 ) and 24.5±12.0 min.d-1 ( MVPA , p = 0.04 ) . Time spent in sedentary behaviors declined in the nutrition+PA group ( -14.8±20.7 min.d-1 ) and increased in the nutrition only group ( + 55.4±23.2 min.d-1 ) ; mean difference between groups of -70.2±30.9 min.d-1 ( p = 0.02 ) . Neither group showed changes in TC , BP , WC , % BF , BMI percentile , or fitness ( p>0.05 ) . Conclusions The supervised afterschool community-based nutrition and PA program was well accepted and had high attendance . The changes in light PA and MVPA has potential to promote weight maintenance in inner-city elementary school children , however longer term studies with larger sample s are needed . Trial Registration Clinical Trials.gov Physical activity ( PA ) could be protective against  hypertension  , atherosclerosis , coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease . This quantitative study assessed the association between a PA intervention and three anthropometric parameters ( weight , body mass index , body fat ) and four physiological parameters ( cholesterol level , systolic blood pressure , diastolic blood pressure , heart rate ) among secondary school pupils ( N = 160 ) in Egypt through the school term . The pupils were r and omised to an intervention group ( 80 pupils ) and controls ( 80 pupils ) . Measurements were obtained for all pupils twice : at baseline ; and then again after three months . The PA intervention programme comprised an ‘ afterschool ’ one hour of moderate exercise three times a week for three months . Both the controls and the intervention pupils attended the ‘ normal ’ exercise schedule provided by the school ; in addition , the intervention group attended afterschool PA programme from about 2–3 o’clock in the afternoon . At baseline , employing pupil ’s BMI , 27.5 % and 28.8 % of the intervention and control pupils respectively were classified as overweight . After three months , the percentage of overweight decreased to 12.5 % in the intervention pupils , while it increased to 37.3 % in the controls . At the end of the three months period , there were significant improvements across most anthropometric and physiological parameters of the intervention pupils when compared with the control children . The correlation coefficient of the improvements for the boys and the girls was 0.97 , indicating clearly that the intervention was having nearly the same beneficial effect for boys and girls . A moderate PA programme for a modest period of 3 months could be effective in maintaining or enhancing pupil ’s anthropometric and physiological parameters in comparison to the controls where there was deterioration in both parameters . Policy makers and secondary schools in Egypt might need to pay more attention to PA programmes conducted on school days , in order to motivate pupils to attend such programmes . There is also an urgent need to look at current PA systems within schools in Egypt in order to assess PA outside school times Objective : To analyse the effect of extracurricular physical activities on fat mass accumulation and physical fitness during growth in early pubertal males . Design : Longitudinal study .Subjects : A total of 42 male children ( 9.4±1.4 years , Tanner I – II and 12.7±1.5 years , Tanner III – IV , before and after the 3.3 years follow-up , respectively ) , r and omly sample d from the population of Gran Canaria ( Spain ) , 26 of them physically active ( PA , at least 3 h per week during 3 years ) and 16 non-physically active ( non-PA ) . Measurements : Body composition ( dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry ) , anthropometrics ( body circumferences and skinfolds ) and physical fitness variables ( dynamic and isometric force , anaerobic capacity and maximal aerobic power ) were determined in all subjects . Results : Both groups had comparable body sizes at the start and the end of the study . Body mass index increased with growth more in the PA than in the non-PA group ( P<0.05 ) . However , fat mass accumulation with growth was lower in the PA than in the non-PA ( P<0.05 ) . There was a positive relationship between the increment of total and trunkal fat mass , especially in non-active children ( r 2=0.93 ) . In contrast , there was an inverse relationship between the total lean mass growth and the accumulation of total and regional fat mass ( r=−0.37 to −0.41 , all P<0.05 ) . Physical fitness was maintained in the PA , while it worsened in the non-PA children . Conclusions : Without any dietary intervention , children who regularly participate in at least 3 h per week of sports activities are more protected against total and regional fat mass accumulation . They also increase their total lean and bone mass to a greater extent than children who do not participate in extracurricular sport activities . In addition , PA children maintain their physical fitness during growth , while it deteriorates in the non-PA children Background Most Finnish adolescents are not sufficiently physically active . Health education ( HE ) provides beneficial starting point for physical activity ( PA ) promotion in schools . This study evaluates an intervention integrated into three HE lessons to increase  PA and reduce sedentary behavior ( SB )  among eighth grade rs . Methods All public secondary schools in Tampere , Finl and participated and were r and omized to intervention ( INT , n = 7 ) and comparison group ( COM , n = 7 ) . In INT ( 690 students , 36 classes ) the teachers ( n = 14 ) implemented behavioral theory-driven content during three HE lessons . In COM ( 860 students , 41 classes ) the teachers ( n = 14 ) carried out st and ard lessons . The evaluation was based on RE- AIM : Effectiveness was assessed from baseline to 4 weeks ( Follow-up 1 ) and Maintenance from 4 weeks to 7 months ( Follow-up 2 ) with change in students ’ PA and SB and related psychosocial and parental factors . Methods included question naire , accelerometer  and  activity diary . Linear mixed models with baseline adjustments and r and om effect correction were used to compare the difference in change between INT and COM . Data on Reach , Adoption and Implementation were collected during the process . Results Intervention effects were only seen in the self-reported data favoring INT in the weekly number of days with at least 1 h of brisk leisure PA ( 0.3 [ 95%CI 0.1 to 0.6 ] ) , proportion of students meeting PA recommendations ( 4.1 [ 95%CI 2.5 to 5.7 ] ) , proportion of students reporting that their family sets limitations for screen time ( 5.4 [ 95%CI 3.3 to 7.4 ] ) and in the number of days on which the students intended to do leisure PA in the following week ( 0.3 [ 95%CI 0.1 to 0.6 ] ) . The effects on PA were still beneficial for INT at Follow-up 2 . The intervention reached 96 % of the students , was adopted in all 7 schools and was implemented by 13/14 teachers in 35/36 classes . Conclusions The intervention was feasible and had small favorable effects on students ’ self-reported PA , intention to do PA and family norm in screen time . The effects on PA persisted until Follow-up 2 . It is likely that for greater impacts the HE lessons should have been supported with other actions without compromising feasibility . Trial registration NCT01633918 ( June 27th , 2012 ) The present study tested the effect of a school-based physical activity ( PA ) program on quality of life ( QoL ) in 540 elementary school children . First and fifth grade rs were r and omly assigned to a PA program or a no-PA control condition during one academic year . QoL was assessed by the Child Health Question naire at baseline and postintervention . Based on mixed linear model analyses , physical QoL in first grade rs and physical and psychosocial QoL in fifth grade rs were not affected by the intervention . In first grade rs , the PA intervention had a positive impact on psychosocial QoL ( effect size [ d ] , 0.32 ; p < .05 ) . Sub population analyses revealed that this effect was caused by an effect in urban ( effect size [ d ] , 0.38 ; p < .05 ) and overweight first grade rs ( effect size [ d ] , 0.45 ; p < .05 ) . In conclusion , a school-based PA intervention had little effect on QoL in elementary school children Objective . To determine if a 10-month after-school physical activity ( PA ) intervention could prevent deleterious changes in body composition and cardiovascular ( CV ) fitness in young black boys . Methods . Following baseline measures , 106 boys ( 8–12 yrs ) were r and omized to either a control group or an intervention group , further divided into attenders ( ATT ) and nonattenders ( NATT ) , participating in ≥60 % or < 60 % of the intervention , respectively . The daily intervention consisted of skills development ( 25 min ) , vigorous PA ( VPA , 35 min ) , and strengthening/stretching ( 20 min ) components . Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry . Results . Following the intervention , the ATT exhibited an increase in moderate-to-vigorous PA and a significant reduction in BMI , fat mass , and % BF compared to the control group . A significant association among the intervention energy expenditure and changes in body composition and CV fitness was observed only in the ATT group . Conclusion . An after-school PA program of sufficient length and intensity can promote healthy changes in body composition and fitness levels in black boys who attend at least 3 days/week Background Many Australian children are insufficiently active to accrue health benefits and physical activity ( PA ) levels are consistently lower among youth of low socio-economic position .  PA levels decline dramatically during adolescence and evidence suggests that competency in a range of fundamental movement skills ( FMS ) may serve as a protective factor against this trend . Methods / design The Supporting Children ’s Outcomes Using Rewards Exercise and Skills ( SCORES ) intervention is a multi-component PA and FMS intervention for primary schools in low-income communities , which will be evaluated using a group r and omized controlled trial . The socio-ecological model provided a framework for the 12-month intervention , which includes the following components : teacher professional learning , student leadership workshops ( including leadership accreditation and rewards , e.g. , stickers , water bottles ) , PA policy review , PA equipment packs , parental engagement via newsletters , FMS homework and a parent evening , and community partnerships with local sporting organizations . Outcomes will be assessed at baseline , 6- and 12-months . The primary outcomes are PA ( accelerometers ) , FMS ( Test of Gross Motor Development II ) and cardiorespiratory fitness ( multi-stage fitness test ) . Secondary outcomes include body mass index [ using weight (kg)/height ( m2 ) ] , perceived competence , physical self-esteem , and resilience . Individual and environmental mediators of behavior change ( e.g. social support and enjoyment ) will also be assessed . The System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time will be used to assess the impact of the intervention on PA within physical education lessons . Statistical analyses will follow intention-to-treat principles and hypothesized mediators of PA behavior change will be explored . Discussion SCORES is an innovative primary school-based PA and FMS intervention design ed to support students attending schools in low-income communities to be more skilled and active . The findings from the study may be used to guide teacher pre-service education , professional learning and school policy in primary schools . Trial registration Australian New Zeal and Clinical Trials Registry No : OBJECTIVE To prospect ively examine potential benefits of active commuting to school on measures of weight status and physical activity in a sample of youth . RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES A cohort of students from seven elementary schools was measured four times -- in the fall and spring of fourth grade ( N = 1083 ) and fifth grade ( N = 924 ) . Participants were classified as active ( walking , biking , or skateboarding to school almost every day for baseline analyses or at least 2 d/wk for analyses of consistent active commuting ) or non-active commuters to school . Accelerometers were used to measure physical activity . Height , weight , and skinfolds were objective ly assessed . RESULTS Boys who actively commuted to school had lower BMI ( p < 0.01 ) and skinfolds ( p < 0.05 ) than non-active commuters to school in the fourth grade . Active commuting to school over 2 years was not associated with BMI change or overweight status . DISCUSSION Walking and cycling to school may contribute to preventing excessive weight gain , or leaner children may walk or cycle to school BACKGROUND National and state organizations have called upon afterschool programs ( 3 - 6 PM , ASP ) to promote physical activity ( PA ) .  Few strategies exist that ASPs can use to increase the PA of children enrolled . This study evaluated a policy-level intervention ( Movin ' Afterschool , MAS ) design ed to increase  PA  through staff implemented policy-level changes and ongoing technical support . METHODS Twelve preexisting community-based ASPs serving 580 children ( 5 - 12 yrs , 57 % girls ) were invited to take part in MAS . Evaluation of children 's PA , staff behaviors ( engaged or promote PA , other ASP tasks , general supervising ) , and environmental features ( equipment , organized PA ) at baseline ( Fall 2010 ) and post assessment ( Spring 2011 ) were collected using SOPLAY ( System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth ) for boys and girls , separately . R and om effects models evaluated changes in PA categories ( sedentary , walking , vigorous ) . RESULTS The percentage of boys and girls sedentary decreased by 11.8 % and 11.4 % , respectively . Girls ' walking increased by 6.9 % while boys ' vigorous PA increased by 6.5 % . Greater increases in vigorous activity were observed as post assessment in organized activities for boys and during indoor activities for girls . CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate a policy-level approach targeting staff training and ongoing technical support can produce notable increases in  PA  within the ASP setting BACKGROUND Physical Activity Across the Curriculum ( PAAC ) was a three-year cluster r and omized controlled trial to promote physical activity and diminish increases in overweight and obesity in elementary school children . METHODS Twenty-four elementary schools were cluster r and omized to the Physical Activity Across the Curriculum intervention or served as control .  All children in grade s two and three were followed to grade s four and five .  Physical Activity Across the Curriculum promoted 90 min/wk of moderate to vigorous intensity physically active academic lessons delivered by classroom teachers . Body Mass Index was the primary outcome , daily Physical activity and academic achievement were secondary outcomes . RESULTS The three-year change in Body Mass Index for Physical Activity Across the Curriculum was 2.0+/-1.9 and control 1.9+/-1.9 , respectively ( NS ) . However , change in Body Mass Index from baseline to 3 years was significantly influenced by exposure to Physical Activity Across the Curriculum . Schools with > or = 75 min of Physical Activity Across the Curriculum/wk showed significantly less increase in Body Mass Index at 3 years compared to schools that had < 75 min of Physical Activity Across the Curriculum ( 1.8+/-1.8 vs. 2.4+/-2.0 , p=0.02 ) . Physical Activity Across the Curriculum schools had significantly greater changes in daily Physical activity and academic achievement scores . CONCLUSIONS The Physical Activity Across the Curriculum approach may promote daily Physical activity and academic achievement in elementary school children . Additionally , 75 min of Physical Activity Across the Curriculum activities may attenuate increases in Body Mass Index PURPOSE  Physical activity ( PA  ) declines dramatically during adolescence , and activity levels are consistently lower among children living in low-income communities . Competency in a range of fundamental movement skills ( FMS ) may serve as a protective factor against the decline in PA typically observed during adolescence . The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a 12-month multicomponent PA and FMS intervention on children attending primary schools in low-income communities . METHODS The Supporting Children 's Outcomes using Rewards , Exercise , and Skills intervention was evaluated using a cluster r and omized controlled trial . The sample included 25 classes from eight primary schools located in low-income communities . Participants were 460 children ( 54.1 % girls ) age 8.5 ± 0.6 yr . Primary outcomes were objective ly measured PA ( ActiGraph GT3X and GT3X+ accelerometers ) , FMS competency ( Test of Gross Motor Development 2 , six locomotor and six object control skills ) , and cardiorespiratory fitness ( 20-m multistage fitness test ) assessed at baseline , midprogram ( 6-months ) , and at posttest ( 12 months ) . Linear mixed models , adjusted for sex , age , body mass index z-score , socioeconomic status , ethnicity , and school class as a r and om factor , were used to assess the effect of the intervention . RESULTS At midprogram , there were no significant intervention effects for any of the outcomes . At posttest ( study 's primary time point ) , there were intervention effects for daily moderate-to-vigorous PA ( MVPA ) ( adjusted mean difference , 12.7 min·d of MVPA ; 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) , 5.0 - 20.5 ) , overall FMS competency ( 4.9 units ; 95 % CI , -0.04 to 9.8 ) , and cardiorespiratory fitness ( 5.4 laps ; 95 % CI , 2.3 - 8.6 ) . CONCLUSIONS A school-based multicomponent PA and FMS intervention maintained daily MVPA , improved overall FMS competency , and increased cardiorespiratory fitness among children attending primary schools in low-income communities
These findings suggest that AST should be promoted to increase PA levels in children and adolescents and that cycling to/ from school is associated with increased cardiovascular fitness .
BACKGROUND The impact of  active school transport ( AST )  on daily physical activity ( PA ) levels , body composition and cardiovascular fitness remains unclear .