Background: As school districts across the nation evaluate strategies and implement programs to reduce absenteeism, health-related interventions remain largely underutilized. This study provides the estimated cost of improving students' diet quality as a means to increase attendance. Then, it compares the costs and efficacy of improving diet…

Background: Few studies have investigated how heat impacts play from the perspective of children. The purpose of this study was to explore children's experiences of recess play during high temperatures. Methods: We used the draw-and-tell method to retrospectively explore the experiences of recess during hot weather among students (N = 38) between…

Background: Poor dietary habits in childhood can lead to obesity and chronic diseases later in life. Increasing children's nutrition knowledge and liking of fruits and vegetables are key factors in improving diet quality. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a nutrition program on knowledge, liking and intake of fruits and…

Background: This study assessed the effects of the "Jump-in" whole-school intervention in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on children's weight development by comparing children exposed to the intervention and controls from 3 other large Dutch cities. Jump-in is a comprehensive intervention that aims to stimulate healthy nutrition and…

Background: School breakfast programs (SBP) play an important role in reducing food insecurity and helping provide children with adequate nutrition. Using alternative service methods such as breakfast in the classroom, grab and go, and second chance breakfast may increase student participation. Methods: We compared the SBP participation of…

Background: To inform prevention strategies, this study provides incidence, factors, and actions taken when a suspected concussion occurred in K-12 schools in Utah. Methods: Data were collected using Utah's Student Injury Reporting System (SIRS) from the academic years 2011-2012 to 2018-2019. SIRS is a unique online system that tracks injuries…

Background: Recess has been shown to increase total daily energy expenditure, which may favorably impact body mass index by decreasing adiposity. This study examines associations between recess participation and adiposity. Methods: The study sample included male (N = 1434) and female (N = 1409) children 5 to 11 years of age participating in the…

Background: This study offers a comprehensive review of academic performance measurement instruments in physical activity and education settings, aiming to provide a comprehensive list of tools used for measuring academic performance in relation to variables associated with physical activity. Methods: Academic performance outcomes, including…

Background: Recess provides an important opportunity for children to be physically active during weekdays. Updated, nationally representative, prevalence estimates of elementary school recess practices in the United States are needed. Methods: Surveys were sent to a nationally representative sample of 1010 public elementary schools in the…

Background: Wearable technologies offer new opportunities to address in-school physical inactivity. However, children are often excluded from discussing issues which directly impact them, including the use of wearable technologies in a school setting. Thus, the aim of this study is to understand primary school pupils' experiences and perceptions…

Background: Play is essential for child growth and development, and may have academic and social-emotional implications. To understand the relationship between in-school play opportunities and academic achievement (AA) and social-emotional well-being among elementary school students, a systematic review of the current in-school play literature was…

Background: Active commuting (AC) to and from school can contribute to physical activity, although it has recently seen a global decline. The purpose of this study was to examine the agreement between parent and child perceptions of barriers to school AC. Methods: Participants were parents (N = 152, M[subscript age] = 40.6 ± 6.3 years) and…

Background: Improving children's fruit and vegetable (FV) preferences may be important as preferences can predict FV consumption. The purpose of this study was to evaluate FV preferences over time, with repeated experience, as part of the "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program" (FFVP). Methods: Fruits (F; N = 28) and vegetables (V; N = 29)…

Background: In this paper, we describe the design, program details, and baseline demographics and oral health of participants in ForsythKids, a regional, comprehensive, school-based mobile caries prevention program. Methods: We solicited all Massachusetts elementary schools with greater than 50% of students receiving free or reduced-price meals.…

Background: National adherence to the recess recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not been comprehensively studied in the United States. Methods: Data from 6 nationally representative data sets over the last decade (Classification of Laws Associated with School Students, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,…