A pilot study on Elementary school students' physical activities: Family involvement base research

Purpose: The study purpose was to establish a family involvement base intervention program to promote parents and children's physical activities. Method: The study subject was recruited from an elementary school at Taichung city in Taiwan the participants include elementary school children and their parents a total 66 people. Researcher applied SMART strategies (Specific; measurable; Acceptable; Realistic; Theoretical) and the “Physical Activity Pyramid” concepts suggests by ACSM to plan health education program, the study period from January, 2009 to December, 2009. A closed end questionnaires and physical fitness measurement was conduct to collect data for evaluate. Result: The family participants can remind children to do physical activities, encourage children do exercise, and felt doing exercise with children was enjoyable and fun. Overall, children sat less and moved more. The light physical activity increased 40 minutes per week (from 170 min/week up to 210min/week), the moderate exercise increased 78 minutes per week (from 96 min/week up to 174min/week) and the vigorous physical exercise increased 41min per week (from 45 min/week up to 86min/week). total energy expenditure increased 252 calorie/day during weekdays, 339 calorie/day on Saturdays, After the family involvement base intervention program, about 70% of families expressed that they would like to keep participating in the parents'-children's physical activity project. Conclusion: According to the results, this study may be of impotence in explaining by the family involvement base physical activity intervention program, As well as providing health educator t with a better understanding of how to promote school-children to be physical active.