The Education Sector of the recently updated National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP, 2023) was developed to assist schools, early care and education centers, and colleges and universities to establish policies and provide programmatic opportunities to support all students in adopting physically active lifestyles. The 2023 Education Sector…

Pedagogical models have been described as suitable for promoting positive outcomes in the physical domain of learning. Is this enough in the battle against sedentary lifestyles? To answer this question, a systematic search of four scientific literature databases was conducted. The articles were included if they met the following criteria: (1)…

Hypertension risk is influenced by low job satisfaction and work-related stress. This study explored associations between job satisfaction, stress, and hypertension among K-12 teachers in a Southwest U.S. school district, using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire -- Short Form and the Perceived Stress Scale for data collection. Twenty-three…

Evidence supports increasing student physical activity in school, and Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAPs) can help students meet national physical activity goals to support their physical and mental health. Although strategies and frameworks are readily available to support schools in their efforts to implement successful…

Purpose: This study examined the attributes contributing to the use of technology among school staff to facilitate and promote physical activity. Method: A mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design was employed with the diffusion of innovations theory as a guide. The Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program Technology Practice…

Background: Schools play a vital role in student health, and a collaborative approach may affect health factors such as physical activity (PA) and nutrition. There is a lack of recent literature synthesizing collaborative approaches in K-12 settings. We present updated evidence about interventions that used a coordinated school health approach to…

Regular physical activity provides physical, mental and cognitive benefits for children. However, globally, only 20% of children meet the recommended levels of physical activity and, on average, students sit for three-quarters of the school day. Active breaks are a well-tested component of many school-based physical activity interventions, but…

Background: The World Health Organization recommends a whole-of-school approach to promoting youth physical activity (PA) and there are several examples of this approach internationally. In the United States, the comprehensive school PA program (CSPAP) model serves as the national framework for school-based physical education (PE) and PA. Part of…

In the United States, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated nationwide closures of kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) schools. Stay-at-home orders and social distancing mandates were also implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize the existing literature on…

Background: We introduce the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child approach to supporting student and school staff physical activity and nutrition and describe the methods used to generate the evidence synthesized across the special issue articles. Methods: A 2-phase literature review search included a search of systematic reviews (2010-2018)…

Resilience could improve parental response to serving as schooling educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to determine whether schooling type (homeschool vs. public-school) and physical activity resulted in significantly different perceived resilience among 123 parents of school-aged youth. The main effect of schooling type, but…

Background: Recess provides many physical, mental, and social benefits for students; however, the most recent systematic review examining the benefits of recess was conducted over a decade ago. The purpose of this paper was to determine the current benefits of school recess by conducting an updated systematic review of the literature. Methods:…

Background: Since 2002, the Chinese Ministry of Education has conducted reform in the physical education (PE) curriculums of schools in China, with a focus on shifting from sports skills to regular participation in physical activity (PA) and promoting health. The aim of the study, therefore, is to examine the effects of school PE on the exercise…

As obesity and physical inactivity rates continue to rise in the United States, Kentucky ranks third in childhood obesity rates (10-17 year olds) and 50th in physical inactivity. The public school environment is a logical place to examine practices and closely discern how time is spent. Federal legislation over the past 50 years has largely…

Background: The school environment, consisting of the physical environment and social-emotional climate (SEC), plays a crucial role in both student and employee health; however, there is a lack of recent literature synthesizing school environment interventions in K-12 settings. We describe updated evidence about school environment interventions to…