This paper directs attention towards the plethora of ongoing health and well-being initiatives that seek to address young people's participation in physical activity and that are underpinned by interests in youth health. Focusing on contemporary developments in the state of Tasmania and throughout Australia, the paper examines these initiatives by…

It is essential that HPERD professionals work together to be spokespeople for their areas at the local, state, and national levels. But what does it look like and how does it happen? The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of advocacy across these three levels, and to provide health and physical educators with some concrete…

High-impact practices foster student success, but faculty faced with heavy teaching loads and lack of resources and infrastructure are challenged to implement such practices. Kinesiology faculty at California State University, East Bay collaborated to implement two student programs: Kinesiology Research Group and Get Fit! Stay Fit! The Kinesiology…

Background: More than one third of college students are obese, with many lacking the knowledge and skills necessary to cook healthfully. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the PRECEDE-PROCEED model-driven primary and secondary needs assessments (PNA, SNA), which contributed to the development of the College CHEF. Methods: Staff…

The Journey Through Health educational display was developed using the Health Belief Model and provided information on how the Dietary Guidelines Consumer Brochure messages can positively influence nutrition and physical activity choices to prevent or delay age-related changes throughout the body. The display consisted of 12 posters, educational…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of cardiorespiratory and pelvic kinematic responses to simulated horseback riding (SHBR) and to characterize responses to SHBR relative to walking in apparently healthy children. Method: Fifteen healthy children (Mage = 9.5 ± 2.6 years) completed SHBR on a commercially available…

The purposes of this exploratory qualitative research were to describe perceptions related to childhood obesity of rural parents, teachers, and school administrators and to examine how their perceptions shape their choices and behaviors for children's eating and physical exercise. The results showed that the perceptions of childhood obesity in the…

Currently one in 50 American school-age children is diagnosed with Autism. Although Asperger Syndrome is no longer acknowledged as a separate diagnosis, this article refers to high-functioning individuals with Autism as having Asperger Syndrome, since it is a culturally relevant term. One of the most challenging times for individuals with Asperger…

The physical activity potential and physiological and motivational benefits of active gaming have been a hot topic in the past few years. It is easy to see why active games are popular among certain populations, particularly those with prior or current video game experience. Video games are fun to play and challenging, give a player total control,…

In view of the persistence of health inequalities and declines in leisure-sport participation over the life course, several quantitative investigations have explored the links between participation and other leisure activities, which have their foundations in childhood and youth, as a means of understanding adults' health behaviours. This paper…

Purpose: A pilot study was conducted to describe the physical activity experiences and perceived benefits of and barriers to physical activity participation for patrons of a homeless shelter. The resulting pilot data may be used to inform the creation of and support for physical activity and sport programs for those experiencing homelessness.…

Objective: The population of young people most vulnerable to low levels of physical activity (e.g. urban/minority/low socio-economic status/female/non-athletes) often has the least access to physical activity opportunities and resources. It has been suggested that a comprehensive, school-based approach, including prudent use of time before, during…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of classroom-based physical activity interventions that integrate academic content and assess the effectiveness of the interventions on physical activity, learning, facilitators of learning, and health outcomes. Method: Six electronic databases (ERIC, PubMed, Google Scholar,…

The dominant metabolic theory of obesity is that it develops from excessive positive energy balance. However, preventive interventions based on this theory have often been ineffective. This article proffers a developmental theory, which is based on recent epidemiologic research and a new line of research dealing with differentiation of immature…

Little is known about the effective dose of motivational interviewing for maintaining intervention-induced health outcome improvements. The purpose of this study was to compare effects of two doses of motivational interviewing for maintaining blood pressure improvements in a community-engaged lifestyle intervention conducted with…