Children's daily physical activity patterns are influenced by many factors outside of their immediate control (e.g., school, parents' availability, time allowed outdoors). Because all children do not have an equal opportunity to participate in physical activity, investigating the relationship of psychosocial variables and actual voluntary activity…

The main goal of the current study was to compare physical activity levels during swimming and nonswimming elementary physical education classes. We conducted a preliminary study and found that the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) could be used to register physical activity engagement levels in swimming classes. Thirty-nine…

The purposes of this study were to determine the relationships between: (a) measures of body size/composition and heat production/storage, and (b) heat production/storage and heart rate (HR) drift during running at 95 % of the velocity that elicited lactate threshold, which was determined for 20 healthy recreational male runners. Subsequently,…

Research shows a decline in participation in physical activity across the teenage years. It is important, therefore, to examine factors that might influence adolescent girl's likelihood of being physically active. This study used contemporary theoretical perspectives from psychology to assess a comprehensive profile of motivational and…

Objective: The common cold, known as upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), is the world's most prevalent illness. The purpose of this study was to determine if physical activity is linked to the incidence and/or duration of the common cold. Method: Undergraduate university students (n=200) were asked to complete two questionnaires. The…

Motor behavior is a significant area of scholarship with 64 Fellows from the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education engaged in that work since 1930. This paper provides a brief overview of the history of research in motor development and motor control/learning, particularly noting the contributions to scholarship of Academy…

The purposes of this study were to examine the relationship between steps[middle dot]day[superscript -1] and time spent in physical activity, and to identify the number of steps[middle dot]day[superscript -1] that corresponded to 30 min or more of moderate physical activity (MPA). Thirty-six college students (age: 23.3 [plus or minus] 3.1 years;…

Do you belong to a sports club or gym? Do you like to work out, play tennis, swim, or run regularly? If so, you are also improving your hearing health. I did not learn this from a sports column; I learned it from interviewing Ray Hull. Dr. Raymond H. Hull, PhD, is a professor of communication sciences and disorders, audiology, and director of the…

This study examined the concurrence between proxy generated estimates of physical activity via diary recordings and accelerometer generated estimates of physical activity for 37 adults with intellectual disability living in supported group homes. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: (a) to what extent did the proxy estimates agree…

Most of the existing ecological studies have been conducted during class instructional time. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe (a) how students (N = 102; grade 2-4) engaged in a strategy named "Health Passport" taking place mainly outside of school time and (b) how four physical education teachers held students…

Background: Obesity has become a national epidemic among youth. Declining physical activity and poor nutrition contribute to this epidemic. The purpose of this study was to obtain data on middle school students' physical activity and nutrition knowledge and practices. Methods: The Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey was developed and…

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the relation between weight status and participation in physical activity (PA) among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white (NHW) adolescent boys and girls. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, height and weight were measured and a modified 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey was administered to 1302…

Background: This study examines the differences among black, Hispanic, and white adolescent girls in their perceptions surrounding physical activity (PA), including support within the school climate, friend and family social support, and personal enjoyment. Methods: Participants included 1466 sixth-grade girls from 36 middle schools across the…

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…