218813 Effects of state physical education-related policies on children's physical activity and weight status

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Jinsook Kim, PhD, MPH, DDS , School of Nursing and Health Studies, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, IL
  
Background: Despite numerous state policies to promote physical activity (PA) and reduce overweight through school physical education (PE), there is little evidence that such state policies increase PA or reduce overweight among children.

Purpose: This study assesses: 1) whether the nature and extent of state PE-related policies are related to PA and weight status among children; 2) whether the relationship is partly attributable to PE-related school practices; and 3) whether the associations between state PE-related policies and children's outcomes have changed over time.

Significance: The analysis will provide information for policy recommendations by elucidating the influence of state-level policies and school practices on children's outcomes.

Methodology: Two sets of repeated cross-sectional data are analyzed to examine the influence of state PE-related policies on children's PA and weight outcomes and the role of school PE-related practices. Variation in the associations over time is also examined.

Findings: There was a positive association of the extent of state PE-related policies with children's body mass index (BMI), but not with PA, controlling for other state and individual characteristics. School PE-related practices mediated the relationship between state polices and individual outcomes. The effects of state PE-policies on children's outcomes were similar between two study periods.

Conclusions: The positive association between state PE-related policies and children's BMI may come from the following factors: adoption of extensive school PE-related policies by states with high child overweight rates to reduce the health risk; difficulties implementing policies at schools; or the insufficient length of time to show policy effects.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. List 3 topic areas of state-level policies that are related to school physical education. 2. List 3 physical education-related school practices that are related to students’ weight status. 3. Describe the potential mechanism through which state-level physical education-related policies affect children’s weight status.

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, School Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I conduct research on social ecology of health and adolescent health and teach health behavior theories and research methods at a university.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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