Investigated specific aspects of urban Hong Kong children's lifestyles that influenced their eating and physical activity behaviors. Data from observations at home and at school during recess indicated that children did not participate at levels of physical activity of sufficient intensity to have any effects on fitness and health. Children tended…

Communication is a barrier to accessing physical activity and recreation for many people who are deafblind (Lieberman & MacVicar, 2003; Lieberman & Stuart, 2002). The purpose of this study was to observe effective communication strategies used during four physical activities for youth who are deafblind. Communication during physical activity was…

The objective of this paper is to analyze the relationship between income and living conditions and well-being of elderly. The best from two worlds is used for this purpose: a Danish survey covering 1440 elderly aged 72 and 77 from 1997, connected to reliable register information on income, 1988-1996. Indicators of physical activity, social and…

Health and educational leaders are sounding the alarm about the unhealthy condition of many students in America's K-12 schools. Each day, new scientific studies confirm that "The majority of American youth are sedentary and do not eat well. Sixteen percent of school-aged children and adolescents--or nine million--are overweight, a figure that has…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine determinants of teachers' intentions to teach physically active physical education classes (i.e., spend at least 50% of class time with the students engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity). Based on the theory of planned behavior, a model was examined hypothesizing that teachers'…

This article focuses on overweight children and the role that educators (and schools) might play in supporting and reinforcing this unhealthful lifestyle. Included are strategies for promoting more healthful eating and activity habits. The article concludes with a list of resources offering additional help in addressing this growing threat.

Play involves unstructured activity that is freely entered into and intrinsically rewarding. When children engage in play there is little intentional learning. There are no lesson plans. There are no daily objectives or specific learning outcomes. Incidental learning can cause relatively permanent changes in the way one thinks; accidental learning…

Spurred on by recent research findings, the popular press has been bombarding the country about the obesity crisis facing our nation. Issues surrounding the obesity problem for children include (a) a reduction of daily physical activity as a result of some schools eliminating recess and physical education; (b) the change in society from farming…

Interpretive ethnography was used as a framework to examine perceptions of physical activity behavior of 12 adults with mild mental retardation. Four parents and two job supervisors also agreed to participate. Multiple data sources included in-depth interviews, diaries, accelerometry, and informal observations. Participants reported many physical…

Headlines recently were full of studies about the obesity problem of America's children and young people, as if kids became overweight without anyone noticing. An accumulation of both school and family habits, however, have been contributing to the fact that at least 13% of children ages 7 to 11 are overweight, double those of the 1970s (and…

This study was conducted with senior citizens in the 2 rural communities of Ada and Lindsay, Oklahoma. These communities are both predominantly white, with the largest minority population being American Indian. Both communities are more than 60 miles from a metropolitan area and have a history of farming and ranching. Purpose: The purpose of this…

Context and Purpose: Obesity and physical inactivity are common in the United States, but few studies examine this issue within rural populations. The present study uses nationally representative data to study obesity and physical inactivity in rural populations. Methods: Data came from the 1998 National Health Interview Survey Sample Adult and…

Objective: To identify determinants of participation in moderately, and vigorously intense physical activity among African-American and Caucasian adolescent females. Methods: Participants (n=626 African-American; n=226 Caucasian) completed an 81-item questionnaire that assessed influences on physical activity and a 1-week recall of physical…

In Japan, pedometers are so popular that most households there now have several. While pedometers have not yet reached this level of popularity in the United States, the media commonly discuss monitoring physical activity with pedometers. This discussion has focused both on its use as a monitoring device and as a means of physical activity…

The decline of physical activity during adolescence is not well understood. This prospective study followed 969 Taiwanese students from eighth to ninth grade and examined their physical activity-related cognitions, interpersonal influences, and behavior of physical activity across the grade transition. Gender differences were found in the effects…