Introductory exercise courses for sedentary, moderately overweight adults were developed. The underlying principles of the courses, their structure and contents, guidelines of instruction, and use of evaluation are described. Implementation of five weight-reduction courses and six exercise courses involving 209 participants is described;…

Presents Flow Theory as a theoretical model to help those who work with children in physical activity environments better understand how to motivate children to become and remain physically active. Explains why children participate in and drop out of physical activities, what Flow Theory is, how to tap into flow experiences, and implications for…

This article provides: information on the importance of physical activity for older adults and guidelines to ensure safe and successful activity. It discusses the need for activity, risk levels, prescription of exercise intensity, determination of entry level fitness and monitoring of improvement, and the role of the professional. (SM)

Describes three main factors that influence girls' perceived efficacy regarding elementary physical education: the teacher (T), the learning environment (L), and the curriculum (C). When these factors are combined in a pedagogically sound manner, girls are more likely to respond by exhibiting better perceived efficacy. The teacher's role is the…

Asked undergraduate students' opinions of Descartes' belief that the mind and body are separate, then had them conduct action research projects examining whether the mind-body dilemma might be overcome if teachers valued the essential nature of play and applied it to sport and physical education. Results supported the hypothesis that physical…

Evaluated barriers to participation in physical activity by American Indian elementary school students. Data from interviews, observations, and surveys indicated that barriers at school included lack of facilities, equipment, and trained staff people for physical education. Weather conditions, safety concerns, and homework/chores were also…

Examined relationships between physical factors, psychological factors, gender, and age in middle school physical education (PE) students. Data on PE alienation, perceived competency toward physical fitness (PCf) and physical activity (PCp), and various fitness and strength measures indicated that gender and PCf significantly predicted fitness.…

Objective : To evaluate social support and theory of planned behavior (TPB) constructs in explaining physical activity in adolescent girls. Methods : One thousand seven hundred ninety-seven 8 th -grade girls completed a survey measuring social provisions, family support, TPB constructs, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and team sport…

Objective: To explore 2 major components of health behavior research, etiologic research and action research. To argue that action research is both an artistic as well as scientific process. Methods: Review of the development process of effective health behavior programs with youth. Review of literature on art as part of the scientific process,…

The multitude of quality of life problems associated with declining walking rates has impelled researchers from various disciplines to identify factors related to this behavior change. Currently, this body of research is in need of a transdisciplinary, multilevel theoretical model that can help explain how individual, group, regional, and…

This study examined the reliability and validity of the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) vigorous physical activity (VPA), moderate physical activity (MPA), flexibility (FLEX), and muscular strength and/or endurance (MSE) questions. Twenty college students completed the four items twice during the same day. During the next 7…

The purpose of this study was to determine if high school females differed in individual measures of health-related physical fitness, barriers to exercise, or activity level based on ethnicity or socioeconomic status. A cross-sectional sample consisting of African American (28%), Hispanic (23%), and white (49%) female high school students, 46%…

The Optimal Aging Program (OAP) at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine is a longitudinal mentoring program that pairs students with older adults who are considered to be aging "successfully." This credit-bearing elective was initially established in 2001 through a grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation, and aims to expand…

Background: School physical education is available to most young people and provides a structured context for physical activity participation. Regular physical activity during childhood can confer acute and long-term health benefits. From this health perspective one of the goals of physical education is for students to take part in appropriate…

This study examined the social cognitive factors associated with participation in physical activity among Chinese-American youth. Utilizing an observational cross-sectional design, data were collected via a self-administered survey from 84 Chinese-American children ages 6-18. The survey employed items from the Health Behavior Questionnaire and the…