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…

This book on physical education for the older adult is divided into three parts. The first part contains a chapter that introduces the reader to the topic of aging in American society and ties that topic to the interests of health professionals. Chapters 2 through 6 address the foundation areas of health, physical education, recreation and dance…

Individuals of all ages need to maintain an active lifestyle to promote health. The physiological changes associated with aging, however, make the elderly especially vulnerable to disuse atrophy associated with inactivity. Exercise programs for the elderly are being established in increasing numbers, but high dropout rates from these programs…

Stability of temperament over successive ages in the first 2 years was evaluated for 109 full-term and 81 preterm infants who were assessed at 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. At each age subjects were engaged in a series of age-appropriate vignettes in the laboratory; experimenters used a structured sequence of activities. Composite ratings…

Several self-report studies of mood and activity have produced evidence of culturally biased theories which people share about the relationship between affect and behavior. In these studies, biased reporting may have been increased by taking mood and activity ratings concurrently rather than employing lagged independent ratings. To identify…

A study determined the effects of fatigue produced in the upper extremities on the reaction time, movement time, and response time of the lower extremities in 30 male subjects, 19-25 years old. Each subject participated in a 10 trial practice session one day prior to the experiment and immediately preceding the pre-test. The pre-test consisted of…

This report is based on a survey of 4,678 children aged 6 to 9, examining their exercise habits at school, at home, and in community programs. The survey is the second in a series carried out by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The first report found that fitness has declined for 10- to 17-year-olds. In an effort to better…

The immediate response of stress to aerobic exercise was measured by utilizing the Palmar Sweat Index (PSI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Forty subjects (20 male and 20 female) from the ages of 18-30 sustained a single bout of aerobic activity for 30 minutes at 60 percent of their maximum heart rate. Pre-treatment procedures…

The booklet provides information to help teachers understand juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). JRA is a chronic disease involving one or more joint(s); its cause is unknown. The five types of JRA are monarticular, pauciarticular of young girls, pauciarticular of boys, polyarticular, and systemic. Aspirin is the main treatment medication and…

For this study, the physical performance levels of 73 children in grades 4-6 were assessed, and each individual was administered an adaptation of Kenyon's Attitude Toward Physical Activity (ATPA) survey. This instrument measured selected attitudes related to physical activities: social, health and fitness, risk, aesthetic, catharsis, ascetic,…

A child's elementary school years are referred to as the period of motor skill learning. Physical education goals for elementary school students should include: 1) the development and maintenance of a high level of physical fitness, 2) the development and maintenance of desirable skills in motor and social performance, and 3) the development and…

Tested hypothesis that 4- and 5-year-old children in same-sex problem-solving groups would perform equally well when a group task required various cooperative and self-serving behaviors to enable group to obtain a resource. The hypothesis that girls and boys would employ different behaviors to obtain resource was also tested. Participants were 20…

This study sought to determine general levels of physical fitness and knowledge of basic fitness concepts of 50 hearing-impaired college freshman. Results indicated that fitness levels of subjects were not significantly different from those of non-impaired peers, although knowledge levels of subjects appeared to be lower than the norms for…

Two studies are presented which deal with reliability and validity of self-reports of aerobic activity. The goal of these studies was to develop and test a form that could be used in a behavior modification program designed to increase aerobic activity among healthy families. (Author/DF)

Testimony from the 1984 Youth Fitness Hearings explores views on the importance of fitness for children, status of physical fitness levels, and current support for youth fitness programs. Responsibilities for fitness programming and leadership training are examined and recommendations for program improvement offered. (DF)