For undergraduate students, excessive screen time is associated with poorer mental health and greater perceived stress. Objective: The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the potential moderating influence of physical activity and sleep on the relationship between screen time and stress. Participants & Methods: A…

Objective: This study examined the unique and interactive effects of PA volume and within-person fluctuations in PA volume (i.e., intraindividual variability in PA volume; PA-var) on preschoolers' (N = 141; 47.5% girls) ADHD symptoms. Method: Preschoolers wore accelerometers during the school day over a 2-week period. Teachers reported on…

Potential bidirectional associations between preschool classroom overactive (or externalizing) and underactive (or internalizing) behaviors and language and literacy skills (i.e., vocabulary and listening comprehension) were examined in a sample of children enrolled in Head Start (N = 297). Cross-lagged panel designs using structural equation…

Background: The adoption of a shortened school week from the traditional 5 to 4 days is increasing nationwide. Budgetary and staffing needs are driving the change, yet research on the effects on students is lacking, especially regarding student health. Our study examined student health in 4 vs 5-day schools in Colorado, a state with one of the…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive relationship among physical activity, health-related fitness, and on-task classroom behavior in children using a discriminant function analysis. Method: Participants were a convenience sample of children (N = 533; M[subscript age] = 8.8 ± 1.9 years) recruited from 77 1st- through…

Objective: Examine the association of health risk behavior clusters with mental health status among US college students. Participants: 105,781 US college students who completed the Spring 2011 National College Health Assessment. Methods: We utilized the latent class analysis to determine clustering of health risk behaviors (alcohol binge drinking,…

Background: We examined longitudinal changes in children's physical activity during the school day, afterschool, and evening across fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. Methods: The analytical sample included children who had valid accelerometer data in fifth grade and at least one other time-point, and provided complete sociodemographic information…

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate and compare local to national averages in college-aged students' sleep disturbances, as well as further investigate key demographics (obesity classification, gender, race, year in college) among sleep issues. Methods: This study investigated 636 undergraduate students (333 males, 303 Females,…

Approximately 1/3 of the children in the United States are overweight or obese. Children in Mississippi have the highest rate of obesity among all other states. The outcome of this epidemic presents an increase in poor health. To address the problems associated with overweight and obesity among children, schools in the U.S. were required to…

The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of quality physical education (QPET) in a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) which is intended to promote physical activity (PA) behaviors in and outside of schools. Participants were nine elementary physical education teachers and their fourth- and fifth-grade students…

Physical activity can have a positive impact on health disparities among African Americans. Objective: In this study, we assessed physical activity behaviors and correlates of students of a Historically Black College. Methods: In September 2004, an online survey and pedometers were used to measure physical activity behavior and correlates.…

The purpose of this study was to collect preliminary validity evidence for a time management scale for exercise. An initial pool of 91 items was developed from existing literature. Ten exercise/health psychologists evaluated each of the items in terms of relevance and representativeness. Forty-nine items met all criteria. Exploratory factor…

Background: Physical education (PE) plays a critical role in the healthy development of youth; however, the influence of PE classes in helping to provide students with health-related behavior patterns is not clear. This study aims to analyze whether participation in PE classes is associated with health-related behavior among high school students.…

Objective: Given the inconsistent findings in the literature, the authors' purpose in this study was to examine the associations between physical activity and behavioral and perceptional correlates, such as binge drinking, cigarette smoking, fruit or vegetable consumption, and weight perceptions, among midwestern college students. Participants and…

Education is so strongly emphasized in the Chinese culture that academic success is widely regarded as the only indicator of success, while too much physical activity is often discouraged because it drains energy and affects academic concentration. This study investigated the relations among academic achievement, self-esteem, school conduct and…