Context: Few studies have examined the prevalence of overweight status and physical inactivity among children and adolescents living in rural America. Purpose: We examined urban and rural differences in the prevalence of overweight status and physical inactivity among US children. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2003 National Survey of…

Many young women become disillusioned with physical education in their high-school years. Mounting evidence suggests that this disillusionment starts in early adolescence. This article discusses the experiences of female students in coeducational, middle-school, physical education classes. Focus group interviews, individual interviews, and…

College education is the last opportunity to educate a large segment of young adults to be physically active and develop a healthy lifestyle. This study examined minority community college student risks for cardiovascular disease, physical activity (PA) patterns, and effects of physical education and general health courses on promoting PA.…

This study investigated the relationship between preschool children's participation in play activities structured by adults and the level of motor activity children exhibited while in those activities, to test the hypothesis that children's motor activity levels vary according to the level of structure imposed on activities by adults. Subjects…

During the past 10 years, a number of inpatient programs have been designed for the treatment of chronic pain. To investigate the utility of the Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (I-E) and Wallston's and Wallston's Health Locus of Control Scale (HLC) in predicting outcome in an operantly-based, multi-modal program for the treatment…

The purpose of this investigation was to compare physical activity, aerobic fitness, and selected coronary heart disease risk factors in 27 male and 21 female university faculty members. Results of t-tests indicate that the males had significantly greater values for physical activity index, systolic blood pressure, aerobic fitness (V02 max), and…

In general, there are two reasons for modifying the rules in sport activities: (1) to meet a specific objective or (2) to solve a perceived problem. The sense of the original game is usually not altered significantly because the number of rule changes is kept to a minimum. Changes in rules may be made for administrative or financial reasons, or to…

The hypothesis that boys are more stimulated than girls to high levels of motor activity by the presence of same-sex peers was examined by exposing preschoolers to a standardized setting under two conditions, alone and in triads. If true, the "contagion" effect would result in larger sex differences under the triad condition than under…

Eighteen hyperkinetic boys (ages 5-12) who had a history of successful drug treatment with methylphenidate were compared with a similar group of normal controls on a series of objective measures of activity and attentional problems. (Author/DLS)

The Go for Health project uses interventions based on school change and social learning theory to facilitate changes in diet and exercise behavior by elementary school children. A summary of both school and student outcomes is given, and the intervention model is described. (Author/MT)

Many students between the ages of 6 and 17 are not in good physical shape and do not have daily physical education in school. In this article by the Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, ways parents can help children to develop a physically active lifestyle are suggested, and appropriate school programs are…

Studied 51 ambulatory patients with commonly occurring cancers and 25 of their spouses to evaluate a group stress and activity management treatment program. Found support for unique effects of the treatment intervention, but also support for improvement in psychosocial adjustment for patients and spouses with the passage of time. (Author/MCF)

The influence of physical fatigue on motor skills learning was examined in a study where subjects were scored on performance of both fatiguing and learning tasks. Results are discussed. (DF)

A work reproduction design was used to examine the effect of attentional focus on the perception of physical work. Subjects performed a fixed interval of work while answering arithmetic problems or performing in an unfilled control condition. Results of this study are discussed. (Author/DF)

This digest provides basic information designed to help people determine which of the many physical activity guidelines are most appropriate for use in specific situations. After an introduction, the digest focuses on: "Factors to Consider in Selecting Appropriate Physical Activity Guidelines" (group credibility and purpose, benefits to…