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Purpose: Content analysis of school websites may reveal the degree to which schools value physical education (PE) and physical activity (PA). We used the approach to quantify Maryland's private school websites' PE/PA content and associations with school characteristics. Method: The analytic sample (n = 387) was examined for mention of PE-/PA-related content (e.g., curriculum, dosage, intramurals). Associations between content and school characteristics (e.g., grade levels offered, religious orientation) were examined using Pearson's chi-squared test. Results: PE (∼75% of school websites) was mentioned most frequently, and PA images and PE curriculum (∼30% each) were mentioned least frequently. Elementary and Catholic school websites were proportionately less and more likely, respectively, to mention various PE/PA content. Discussion/Conclusion: Representation of PE/PA content among Maryland's private schools surpassed that found in previous studies. Nonetheless, relative omission of some content may allude to PE/PA being less valued compared with other academic subjects. Follow-up with stakeholders may help elucidate factors that influence content gatekeeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among Muslims, the states of spiritual well-being and physical health complement each other and should be developed in youth. Regular physical activity (PA) in childhood is associated with multiple health benefits immediately and persisting into adulthood. Schools are ideal venues for children to be physically active owing to curricular (i.e., physical education [PE]), co-curricular (i.e., recess, classroom activity breaks), and extracurricular (i.e., intramural and interscholastic sports) opportunities. Most schools utilize websites to convey and promote information about what they feel is important for website visitors to know. Previous studies on how PE/PA are promoted on school websites excluded U.S. Islamic schools. Therefore, we conducted a content analysis of 222 U.S. Islamic schools' websites to determine the prevalence of images and verbiage promoting PE/PA and associated characteristics. Our descriptive findings suggest that PE/PA are emphasized less compared with other subject matter: PE was mentioned on 53% of websites, intramurals on 29%, and interscholastic sports on 21%. Thus, the holistic education of children in the Islamic tradition may be compromised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Less than 25% of US children 6–17 years of age are sufficiently active. Faith-based settings are one of the nine societal sectors tasked with promoting physical activity (PA). Religious organizations frequently use diverse media, including websites, bulletins/newsletters, and calendars to inform current/potential members of events. These could be used to inform youth congregants about PA programs and/or various programs (e.g., worship, social group) with a PA component. We aimed to identify types of PA offerings available to youth and detect disparities by denomination. We performed a systematic line-by-line analysis of website content for a nationally representative, proportionate random sample of 1386 US synagogues representing five denominations: Humanistic (n = 24), Reconstructionist (n = 86), Reform (n = 462), Conservative (n = 368), and Orthodox (n = 446). We utilized crosstabulations and post hoc analyses (z scores) to identify denominational differences by a priori determined program type: education, worship, youth group, and preschool. Only 35% of the synagogues overall mentioned provision of at least one PA across program types. Proportions by denomination included: Humanistic (8%), Reconstructionist (48%), Reform (29%), Conservative (60%), and Orthodox (21%). There were denominational differences for education, worship, and preschool, with Conservative synagogue websites mentioning PA programs more frequently than expected. Future research should survey synagogue clergy and those overseeing media content toward understanding the decision-making process for mentioning/omitting PA when advertising youth programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We completed systematic line-by-line analyses of 1383 U.S. synagogues' websites' – publicly accessible webpages, online brochures/newsletters, online calendars – to assess content that mentioned physical activity. Mention of physical activity opportunities was tallied overall, by program category (social justice, worship, social group, exercise), and by specific physical activity. Crosstabulations were used to detect differences by denomination. Only 35% of synagogues mentioned even one physical activity opportunity/program, and for these 482 synagogues, programs mentioned by category and proportion included: social group (67%), worship (32%), exercise (31%), and social justice (27%). Post hoc analyses of cell standardized residuals (z scores) revealed denominational differences were most pronounced among Conservative (mentioned more frequently than expected exercise programs and >1 program category) and Orthodox (mentioned less frequently than expected social justice and exercise programs, and >1 program category) synagogues' websites. Most synagogues underutilize their multimedia platforms to promote engagement in physical activity. Future research should endeavor to understand the beliefs and attitudes rabbis/synagogue media gatekeepers hold toward physical activity, in general, and their perceptions of the synagogue's role in promoting it to congregants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]