Correlates of elementary students in rural, low-income school districts meeting physical activity recommendations: A social ecological approach

Background: Federal guidelines recommend that children participate in > 60 minutes of physical activity (PA) every day. However, children in the US are not meeting recommendations. Children from rural/low-income communities report lower PA levels than the national average due to specific barriers (e.g., few resources, facilities). While Physical Education (PE) provides safe and effective PA opportunities, PE resources and requirements are being reduced. Further, little is known about PE's relationship to PA among rural, low-income children. The social ecological model helps to understanding PA by investigating individual and intrapersonal factors that influence behavior. Methods: The study was cross-sectional in design. Parents (n=298) of students from seven schools in central Texas completed a questionnaire about their child's PA behaviors and school environment. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted using SPSS 19.0. Results: 32.9% of students (47.8% male, 52.2% female; 60% white, 50% Hispanic/Latino, 15.1% black), met PA recommendations (M=4.67 days, SD=2.095). Correlations showed number of days of PE as the strongest correlate of PA in a typical week (r=0.225). Regression analyses revealed that PE, participation in team sports, and race/ethnicity were all related to PA among this sample (r2=0.167, p=.000). Conclusion: PE needs to be a regular part of school curriculum in rural communities, especially those with low income students. Health educators should address the need for PA outside of school, including affordable and accessible sport participation for children in rural/low income communities. Further, physical activity environments available to children should be a major priority on public health policy agendas.