The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is an epidemiologic surveillance system that was established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help monitor the prevalence of behaviors that not only influence youth health, but also put youth at risk for the most significant health and social problems that can occur during…

Background: Physical activity influences health in individuals and within populations. This study explored factors perceived as enabling or inhibiting participation in physical activity by adults with intellectual disability from a health promotion perspective. Method: Six focus group interviews were conducted: adults with intellectual disability…

The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the percentage of time in which school pupils coached by teachers were engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during extra-curricular sport practices. Three secondary purposes of the study were to determine (a) the percentage of time allocated by teachers for pupils…

Overweight and obesity plague American society and their burden is shared disproportionately by minorities at all age levels. The ramifications of overweight are well documented and include chronic morbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and certain forms of cancer. Immigrants, who comprise 11% of…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Flemish Physical Activity Computerized Questionnaire (FPACQ) in employed/unemployed and retired people. The FPACQ was developed to assess detailed information on several dimensions of physical activity and sedentary behavior over a usual week. A…

Government Ministers, health care professionals and sporting organisations throughout the UK are presently engaged in the promotion of extending the length of time each school child spends participating in quality physical education. Agendas may differ from a crackdown on obesity and sedentary lifestyles to basking in reflected glory of British…

In this article, Natalie Schmitt recalls her teaching experiences with morning exercise programs, beginning with her first teaching job as assistant Morning Exercise teacher at the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago. In the Morning Exercises, students were encouraged to employ all means of expression: speaking, drawing, dancing, singing, acting.…

Headlines recently were full of studies about the obesity problem of America's children and young people, as if kids became overweight without anyone noticing. An accumulation of both school and family habits, however, have been contributing to the fact that at least 13% of children ages 7 to 11 are overweight, double those of the 1970s (and…

This article presents a school-based summer camp called the Get FIT program. Students in Eagle Pass, Texas, go to summer camp to learn how to eat better, play harder, and make smarter decisions about their health. This article also presents an experience of an eleven-year-old child who was once "real fat." The child improved his eating…

Good nutrition for athletes demands plenty of water, since water is essential to such vital functions as muscle reactions. Dehydration can result from jet travel as well as from exercise and heat, making it a danger to traveling athletic teams. To avoid dehydration, water needs should be monitored by frequent weighing, and a clean water supply…

An attempt was made to determine what factors are important in a person's decision to engage in regular, vigorous activity. An Exercise Behavior Model was developed for the purpose of explaining exercise behavior. The model assumes that a person has four major predispositions or inclinations, which influence a readiness to exercise: (1) locus of…

Strategies are described for combining students of different ability levels in games and sports with consideration of movement and fitness demands, purpose and skill complexity, environmental considerations, and cognitive and social considerations. (CB)

An elective course focusing on exercise physiology and cardiovascular fitness offered at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine consists of weekly lectures and student self-designed fitness programs. Student participation correlates with significantly increased levels of student maximum oxygen consumption, a moderate training effect.…

A study of 101 high school females revealed that most had acceptable levels of physical fitness and points to the need for students to learn that fitness skills must be practiced all the time, and not just in required physical education classes. (CB)

The National Children and Youth Fitness Study was initiated to provide information on youth fitness. Articles are presented that describe the research process used and results are discussed in detail. (DF)