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Background: The psychological and physiological adaptations in response to the FIFA 11+ for kids (FIFA11+kid) program has not been examined in school children. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 8-week FIFA11+kid intervention on physical fitness and attentional capacity in elementary school children. Methods: A total of 55 elementary school students voluntarily participated in the study. Participants were assigned to either the FIFA11+kid (n = 28, 5 times per week) or the control (n = 27) group. At baseline and after 8 weeks, all participants were asked to perform a battery of physical fitness tests (sit-and-reach, broad jump, sit-up test, and 800-m run) and the Attention Scale for Elementary School Children, including 5 subscales: focused, sustained, selective, alternating, and divided attentions. Results: The FIFA11+kid group demonstrated larger pre–post change in sit-and-reach (P <.001) and sit-up test (P <.001) than that of control group. Moreover, the FIFA11+kid group demonstrated large improvements pre–post change in Attention Scale for Elementary School Children scores of total score (P <.001), focused (P <.001), sustained (P <.001), and selective attentions (P <.001) compared with the control group. Conclusion: A total of 8 weeks of FIFA11+kid exercise intervention can improve general physical fitness and attentional capacities in elementary school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to determine the advantages and the disadvantages of the strength training for children. It's important to know, what the effects are, of this type of training program, on the preadolescents and adolescents. Rumors and misinformation have helped persuade many to disapprove of preadolescent strength training. This is changing, however, as new knowledge replaces old misconceptions. Finally, we can concluded, that the children strength training program is efficient and without risks, if it is conducted with proper supervision after the principles of gradually loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many mothers and young children are not meeting physical activity guidelines. Parent-child coparticipation in physical activity (ie, shared physical activity) provides opportunities for social modeling and might be associated with child physical activity. There is very little information about shared physical activity using objective measures. Methods: Participants (N = 17 mother-young child dyads) completed a demographic survey and height/weight measurements, and wore a Bluetooth® accelerometer for 1 week. Accelerometers were initialized using the proximity function to yield both individual and proximity [a minute-by-minute log of whether the 2 accelerometers were in-or out-of-range (~50 m or less)] data. Shared physical activity was calculated in MATLAB by overlaying individual and proximity accelerometer data. Results: Mother-child dyads spent approximately 2 hours per day in shared time that was mostly shared sedentary activities. Less than 1% of shared minutes per day were spent in shared moderate to vigorous physical activity. Conclusions: Mothers and young children spent a small portion of their day in shared activities. Most mother-child shared time was spent in sedentary or light activities rather than moderate to vigorous physical activity. This method for objectively measuring shared physical activity provides novel information about the context in which physical activity occurs and could be used to understand patterns of physical activity among other dyads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between parental support and children's physical activity outside of child care, and whether children's age or sex moderated the associations. Methods: Results are based on 93 children aged 19 to 60 months at baseline from 8 child care centers across Alberta, Canada. Parental support (ie, transportation, coactivity, watching, encouragement, and informing) and children's physical activity outside of child care were measured with a parental questionnaire at baseline (October/November 2013) and follow-up (May/June 2014). Results: Every additional unit increase in parental support was significantly associated with 48.5 minutes/week [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 29.3-67.6] and 52.2 (95% CI: 32.0-72.3) minutes/week higher parental reported children's physical activity outside of child care at baseline and follow-up, respectively. A 1-unit increase in parental support from baseline to follow-up was significantly associated with a 24.8 (95% CI: 2.8-46.8) minutes/week increase in parental reported children's physical activity outside of child care. Children's age was a moderator at baseline only. Conclusions: Parental support was positively associated with children's physical activity across all analyses. Parental support may be an important correlate to target in future interventions aiming to promote physical activity in the early years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about the relationship between children's physical activity (PA) in preschool (in-school) and outside of preschool (out-of-school). This study described this relationship. Methods: Participants were 341 children (4.6 ± 0.3 years) in 16 preschools. Accelerometers measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity (TPA) in-school and out-of-school. In the full sample, Pearson correlation was used to describe associations between in-school and out-of-school PA. In addition, children were categorized as meeting or not meeting a PA guideline during school. MVPA and TPA were compared between the 2 groups and in-school and out-of-school using 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: In the full sample, in-school and out-of-school PA were positively correlated for MVPA (r = .13, P = .02) and TPA (r = .15, P = .01). Children who met the guideline in-school remained comparably active out-of-school. However, those who did not meet the guideline were more active out-of-school than in-school. The groups were active at comparable levels while out-of-school. Identical patterns were seen for MVPA and TPA. Conclusions: Children's in-school PA was positively associated with out-of-school PA. Children who did not meet the guideline in-school were more active out-of-school than in-school, suggesting preschool and classroom factors may reduce some children's PA in-school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among predisposing (perceived competence and enjoyment), reinforcing (social environments), enabling factors (motor skills, fitness, physical environments) and physical activity among 288 children, and to identify the age and gender differences among participants. The children completed previously validated questionnaires assessing their perceived competence, enjoyment, school social and physical environments, and physical activity. Physical fitness was measured by FITNESSGRAM fitness testing. Students' motor skills were assessed by PE Metrics. The results indicated that perceived competence and enjoyment predicted physical activity for boys, while perceived competence was the only predictor for girls. Age effects for fitness and skill were significant, as were gender differences for skill, social environment and perceived competence. This study suggests the importance of supportive teachers who provide enjoyable physical education that builds perceived competence for children to improve fitness, motor skill development and physical activity participation. The results support associations between predisposing factors and self-reported physical activity as theorized within the social ecological model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Compared with structured/organized activities, unstructured, self-selected physical activity (PA) may be more appealing for children in particular obese (OB) children. We examined whether both healthy-weight (HW) and OB children would engage in moderate to vigorous intensity PA during an unstructured PA program and compared heart rate (HR) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) between the children. Methods: Twenty-one children [9 OB (≥95th BMI percentile, 12 HW (5th – <85th), 8.6 ± 0.8 years; 9 males, 12 females] participated in before-school (7:30 AM to 8:15 AM) PA for 18 weeks, 3 consecutive days/week. Each child wore a Polar E600 HR monitor and was provided a vigorous, age-targeted heart rate (THR) of 70%. Results: Mean HR ≥ vigorous THR for all children in 65.3% of the sessions and exceeded moderate intensity in 100%. Over the 18-weeks, no significant difference was observed in the overall mean HR between the HW (171.4 ± 12.0) and OB (169.3 ± 13.0), however the OB reported significantly lower RPEs than the HW (16.9 ± 2.6 vs. 17.6 ± 1.5, respectively; P < .05). Conclusions: Both the HW and OB children consistently sustained PA of moderate and vigorous intensity. The current study provides insight regarding the physiological capabilities and perceptual responses of HW and OB children participating in PA programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The current study investigates the extent to which a refundable tax credit could be used to increase low-income children's after-school physical activity levels. Methods: An experimental study was conducted evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention offering a simulated refundable tax credit to parents of elementary-school-age children (n = 130) for enrollment in after-school physical activity programs. A randomized controlled design was used, with data collected at baseline, immediately following the 4-month intervention (postintervention), and 6 weeks after the end of the intervention (follow-up). Evaluation measures included (1) enrollment rate, time spent, weekly participation frequency, duration of enrollment, and long-term enrollment patterns in after-school physical activity programs and (2) moderate to vigorous physical activity. Results: The simulated tax credits did not significantly influence low-income children's rates of enrollment in after-school physical activity programs, frequency of participation, time spent in after-school physical activity programs, and overall moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity at postintervention or follow-up. Conclusions: The use of refundable tax credits as incentives to increase participation in after-school physical activity programs in low-income families may have limited effectiveness. Lawmakers might consider other methods of fiscal policy to promote physical activity such as direct payment to after-school physical activity program providers for enrolling and serving a low-income child in a qualified program, or improvements to programming and infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We sought to evaluate the effects of maternal leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) during pregnancy and current child LTPA on child weight status. Methods: Women with term pregnancies in the Pregnancy Outcomes and Community Health Study (1998-2004) were followed-up. A race-stratified subset of participants (cohort A) received extensive follow-up efforts leading to better response rates (592/926 = 64%) and diversity. The remainder (Cohort B) had a lower response rate (418/1629 = 26%). Women reported child height, weight and LTPA at 3 to 9 years (inactive vs. active), and recalled pregnancy LTPA (inactive vs. active). A 4-category maternal/child LTPA variable was created (reference: active pregnancy + active child). Children were classified as healthy weight, overweight, or obese using age- and sex-specific Body Mass Index percentiles. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds of child obesity (reference: healthy weight). Results: In unadjusted analyses, pregnancy inactivity increased odds for obesity when the child was active (1.6 [95% CI, 1.0-2.6] in Cohort A; 2.1 [95% CI, 1.1-4.0] in Cohort B), and more so when the child was inactive (2.4 [95% CI, 1.2-4.9] in Cohort A; 3.0 [95% CI, 1.0-8.8] in Cohort B). Adjustment for covariates attenuated results to statistical nonsignificance but the direction of relations remained. Conclusions: Maternal inactivity during pregnancy may contribute to child obesity risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classroom-based physical activity is a new approach aiming to improve both physical activity levels and academic achievement. This study investigated the acute effect of a 10-min bout of aerobic physical activity integrated with math practice, compared with a seated math practice, on executive function and enjoyment among normal-weight (n = 24) and overweight children (n = 11). Thirty-five typically developing prepubescent children (10.55 ± 0.74 years) completed a session of physical activity integrated with math practice and a seated math practice session in counterbalanced order. Results showed that following integrated physical activity, the response time in the Standard Flanker improved more than after seated practice. Among the over-weight children, physical activity benefitted performance in the Standard Flanker by preventing the decline associated with seated practice. Children enjoyed the physical activity practice more than the seated practice. These findings suggest that integrating physical activity with academic instruction may be a realistic strategy for promoting physical activity because it may facilitate, not antagonize, executive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health benefits of physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) are reasonably well established, but tracking studies of PA and PF in childhood have not ordinarily considered the role of motor coordination. Objectives: To compare the growth status, gross motor coordination (GMC), PA, and PF characteristics of children at 6 years of age relative to aerobic fitness (it, unit) and PA (active, sedentary) at 10 years. Methods: 285 primary school children (142 girls, 143 boys) resident on the 4 main Azorean islands, Portugal, were measured annually (in the fall) from 6 to 10 years. ANOVA and t tests were computed with SPSS 17. Results: Children with either high aerobic fitness or with high level of PA at 10 years of age tended to have a more favorable profile at 6 years compared with those with low fitness or low activity, respectively. Children who were both it and active at 10 years of age had a more favorable activity and fitness profile and had better GMC at 6 years compared with children who were unit and sedentary. Conclusions: Results highlight the need to consider not only PA, but also PF and GMC in health promotion through the primary school years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Developing Interventions for Children's Exercise (DICE) is an initiative aimed at determining effective school-based exercise programs. To assess feasibility, we conducted a pilot study of exercise sessions which varied in duration and frequency. Methods: Exercise interventions were delivered to Year 3 pupils (age 7-8 years; n = 73) in primary schools within Yorkshire, UK. Evaluations were conducted using focus group sessions, questionnaires and observations. Results: The study revealed positive aspects of all interventions, including favorable effects on children's concentration during lessons and identified the value of incorporation of the DICE concept into curriculum lessons. Children appeared enthused and reported well-being and enjoyment. Areas requiring attention were the need for appropriate timetabling of sessions and ensuring the availability of space. Conclusion: The concept and sessions were well-accepted by teachers who confirmed their full support of any future implementation There appears to be potential for the encouragement and empowerment of teachers to support physical activity and healthy school environments, and to take an interest in the health of their pupils. Ultimately, these findings should assist in the design of successful exercise interventions in the school setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While there is an emerging body of literature showing variations in physical activity between seasons, further investigation is needed to better understand this association in preschool-age children. This study was designed to examine seasonal variation from fall to winter in physical activity among preschoolers. Methods: Forty-six preschool children from 2 preschools in a large Midwestern Metropolitan area completed weekly habitual physical activity measures in both fall and following winter. The habitual physical activity was quantified with the GT1M Actigraph uniaxial accelerometer. To determine seasonal differences in physical activity, a series of paired sample t tests were conducted. Results: Although overall physical activity level declined in winter, the magnitude of seasonality effects seem varied in terms of contexts. Compared with the decline during after-school time and during weekends, the differences in physical activity across the 2 seasons were much less evident during the time attending preschool and during weekdays. Conclusion: Seasonality in physical activity can be moderated by other contextual factors, such as preschool policies and curriculum. Preschools may serve as a major battlefield for fighting against physical inactivity and obesity during childhood due to their practical controllability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the convergent validity of the PLAYfun tool, a physical literacy-based measure of movement competence, by examining its association with objectively measured physical activity in a sample of children and youth. Method: Participants included 110 children between the ages of seven to 14 years attending a stratified random sample of 27 afterschool programs across the province of Ontario, Canada. The PLAYfun tool was administered to the participants on one occasion at their afterschool program and then they were asked to wear a pedometer for seven consecutive days to measure their physical activity levels. A series of multiple linear regression models were used to examine the association between PLAYfun scores and physical activity, while controlling for age, sex, and time of year (season) in which the data were collected. Results: On its own, the PLAYfun average score accounted for close to 13% of the variance in physical activity, R = .36, R2 = .13, p < .001. The PLAYfun average score was also a significant independent predictor of physical activity, b (SE) = 145.98 (53.46), p < .01, when controlling for age, sex, and season in which the data were collected, R2 = .30, F (4, 105) = 11.04, p < .001. Conclusion: Results from the present study indicate that the PLAYfun tool is a significant predictor of objectively measured physical activity, supporting the convergent validity of the tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fitness education is essential for children's health, but determining the effectiveness of instruction related to health-related fitness is difficult. The present study developed and confirmed the validity of a 20-item scale, adapted from the School Health Index (Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014), to evaluate the success of fitness education portion of the Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP) across a sample of 785 teachers. Method: The initial subset (n = 373) represented 353 schools and was used for conducting an exploratory factor analysis. The second subset (n = 412) representing 404 schools, was used to conduct the confirmatory factor analysis. Teachers self-assessed their perceived degree of implementation of fitness education (full, partial, under development, not in place) within their school (i.e., teachers helped students set fitness goals). Results: An initial exploratory factor analysis revealed that the Fitness Education Index questions clustered into six factors. A subsequent confirmatory factor analysis conducted using Mplus concluded the six-factor solution was a good fit (CFI = 0.90, TLI = 0.88, RMSEA = 0.08, SRMR = 0.06). Conclusion: This scale is a valid measure of a school's readiness to initiate and track progress toward the full implementation of fitness education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interactive stationary bikes provide positive affective experiences and physiological benefits; however, research is limited. Methods: This study compared usage of GameBikes to traditional stationary bikes among families in the home following a 6-week randomized, controlled trial design. Parents completed questionnaires featuring constructs of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Usage was tracked by all family members and belief elicitation with GameBike families followed the trial. Results: Usage across the trial was significantly different for children in favor of the GameBike group (t36 = 2.61, P = .01, d = .85). No differences were identified for parents. Significant time effects for parents' (F5,48 = 5.07, P < .01; η² = .35) and children's (F5,32 = 8.24, P < .01; η² = .56) usage were found with declines across 6 weeks. Affective attitude was the only significant TPB variable between groups at both time one (t57 = 2.53, P = .01; d = .65) and follow-up (t52 = 2.70, P = .01; d = .74) in favor of the GameBike group. Elicited beliefs were primarily affective- and control-based. Conclusions: The results provide support for use of interactive video games to augment current PA initiatives. Larger-scale trials with longer durations are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pedometers are increasingly being used to measure physical activity in children and adolescents. This review provides an overview of common measurement issues relating to their use. Methods: Studies addressing the following measurement issues in children/adolescents (aged 3-18 years) were included: pedometer validity and reliability, monitoring period, wear time, reactivity, and data treatment and reporting. Pedometer surveillance studies in children/adolescents (aged: 4-18 years) were also included to enable common measurement protocols to be highlighted. Results: In children > 5 years, pedometers provide a valid and reliable, objective measure of ambulatory activity. Further evidence is required on pedometer validity in preschool children. Across all ages, optimal monitoring frames to detect habitual activity have yet to be determined; most surveillance studies use 7 days. It is recommended that standardized wear time criteria are established for different age groups, and that wear times are reported. As activity varies between weekdays and weekend days, researchers interested in habitual activity should include both types of day in surveillance studies. There is conflicting evidence on the presence of reactivity to pedometers. Conclusions: Pedometers are a suitable tool to objectively assess ambulatory activity in children (> 5 years) and adolescents. This review provides recommendations to enhance the standardization of measurement protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited data exist of tracking and changes in accelerometer-measured physical activity in children. Methods: Physical activity was assessed by accelerometers for 4 days in 167 children (boys, n = 90; girls n = 77) age 9.8 ± 0.6 years. Follow-up measurement was made 2.0 ± 0.1 yrs later (range 1.9-2.1 yrs). General physical activity (GPA) was deined as mean count/minute. Minutes of inactivity; light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity (LMVPA); moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA); and vigorous physical activity (VPA) per day were calculated both as absolute values and as percentage of total registration time. Results: Spearman rank order correlation indicated low tracking of MVPA and VPA in girls (r = .25-0.33, P < .05), and low-moderate tracking of GPA, inactivity, LMVPA, MVPA and VPA in boys (r = .23-0.40, P < .05). Time in inactivity increased at follow-up by 5%-14%. Most of the assessed physical activity variables were decreased at follow-up by 6% to 30%. Conclusions: Physical activity tracks at a low-moderate degree from age 10-12 years, which conirm previous investigations that have used self-report assessments. The low-moderate tracking of physical activity variables indicate that those who were most active initially remained most active. Increasing inactive behavior was observed and that several other physical activity variables were decreased at follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the independent and joint association of weight status and physical activity on resting blood pressure and C-reactive protein in children. Methods: Participants were 174 (71 males, 103 females) children (mean age = 10.5 ± 0.4 yrs). Physical activity was self-reported, body mass index was calculated from measured height and body mass, and blood pressure was measured according to standard procedures. A subset of 91 children had C-reactive protein measured by fingerstick blood sample. Four weight/physical activity groups were created by cross tabulation of weight status classification and physical activity level. Results: The prevalence of low physical activity (< 5 days/wk moderate-vigorous activity) did not differ between overweight and normal weight children (50%). Physical activity was not correlated with C-reactive protein (r = 0.01; P = 0.91) and C-reactive protein was not significantly different between physical activity groups (P = 0.87). Physical activity did not modify the difference in blood pressure or C-reactive protein within weight categories. Conclusions: Fatness (specifically overweight and obesity), but not physical activity, was shown to be associated with blood pressure and C-reactive protein levels in children. Physical activity did not attenuate blood pressure or C-reactive protein in overweight and obese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Object: Increased importance on academic achievement has resulted in many school districts focusing on improved academic performance leading to reductions in physical education time. The purpose was to examine the effects of 45 minutes of daily physical education on the cognitive ability, fitness performance and body composition of African American elementary and middle school youth. Methods: Participants completing the informed consent in grades 2nd to 8th were included in the study. A pre/posttest design was used with repeated measures analysis of variance. Experimental and control school participants were pretested on the cognitive measures (ie, Fluid Intelligence and Perceptual Speed) and FitnessgramR physical fitness test items (eg, aerobic capacity, muscular strength and muscular endurance, body composition) in September 2009 and posttested in May 2010. Results: Experimental elementary and middle school participants observed significantly greater improvements compared with control elementary and middle school participants on 7 of 16 fitness and body composition measures and on 8 of 26 cognitive measures. These fitness, body composition, and cognitive improvement differences were more noticeable among elementary and middle school females. Conclusions: Providing 45 minutes of daily physical education can perhaps increase cognitive ability while increasing fitness and decreasing the prevalence of overweight and obese youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is known that children are more physically active outdoors than indoors. However, few previous studies have observed the time course for physical activity as young children transition from indoor to outdoor activities. Methods: Participants were 3- to 5-year-old children enrolled in the Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study (CHAMPS). Trained observers used the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool Version (OSRAC-P) to record children's physical activity levels over 20 minutes in outdoor settings. The 20-minute outdoor observational period began immediately following the transition from indoors to outdoors. Results: Children's activity levels were moderately high at the time of transition and declined over the 20-minute observation period. Different patterns, however, were observed for boys and girls. Overall, boys were more active than girls. Boys' activity levels declined in a linear fashion over the 20-minute period, while girls' activity levels increased slightly, decreased, and then increased slightly again. Conclusions: These data indicate that physical activity levels decline with increased duration of outdoor play. The frequency and duration of outdoor play should be investigated for the purpose of optimizing physical activity levels.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The after-school period is potentially a "critical window" for promoting physical activity in children. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore children's perceptions of the factors influencing their engagement in physical activity during the after-school period as the first phase in the development of a questionnaire. Methods: Fifty-four South Australian children age 10-13 years participated in same gender focus groups. Transcripts, field notes, and activity documents were analyzed using content analysis. Through an inductive thematic approach, data were coded and categorized into perceived barriers and facilitators according to a social ecological model. Results: Children identified a number of factors, including safety in the neighborhood and home settings, distance to and from places, weather, availability of time, perceived competence, enjoyment of physical activity, peer influence, and parent influence. New insights into bullying and teasing by peers and fear of dangerous animals and objects were revealed by the children. Conclusions: In this study, hearing children's voices allowed the emergence of factors which may not be exposed using existing surveys. These findings are grounded in children's perceptions and therefore serve as a valuable contribution to the existing literature, potentially leading to improved intervention and questionnaire design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is important to understand the correlates of physical activity (PA) to influence policy and create environments that promote PA among preschool children. We compared preschoolers' PA in Swedish and in US settings and objectively examined differences boys' and girls' indoor and outdoor PA regarding different intensity levels and sedentary behavior. Methods: Accelerometer determined PA in 50 children with mean age 52 months, (range 40-7) was recorded during preschool time for 5 consecutive weekdays at 4 sites. The children wore an Actigraph GTIM Monitor. Results: Raleigh preschool children, opposite to Malmö preschoolers spent significantly more time indoors than outdoors (P < .001). Significantly more moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was observed outdoors (P < .001) in both settings. Malmö children accumulated significantly more counts/min indoors (P < .001). The percent of MVPA during outdoor time did not differ between children at Raleigh and Malmö. Conclusion: Physical activity counts/minutes was significantly higher outdoors vs. indoors in both Malmö and Raleigh. Malmö preschoolers spent 47% of attendance time outdoors compared with 18% for Raleigh preschoolers which could have influenced the difference in preschool activity between the 2 countries. Time spent in MVPA at preschool was very limited and predominantly adopted outdoors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]