Non-Competitive Play Leads To More Physical Activity In Children

A new study from Pediatrics June 08 found that non-competitive games resulted in more physically active children when compare to competitive games. It seems that most competitive games (included in the study) involved games of elimination which limited participation time. More students reported enjoying participating in games of elimination however.

"This study highlights the importance of quality over quantity in a physical activity sessions for children," Researcher Bruggeman said. "It is important to promote non-elimination games to increase physical activity participation, but also important to monitor levels of enjoyment to foster a healthy, fun environment in youth."

More on physical activity and games of elimination......

Childhood Obesity Gaining Attention While Leveling Off

Last week there were an abundance of articles and news coverage regarding the Journal of the American Medical Association (CDC data) study that found U.S. childhood obesity rates may be leveling off after surging for more than two decades. I found it difficult to get very excited about these new revelations. I will admit that "leveling off" is better than "gaining" (no pun intended) .

It reminds me of the visual of a boat floating down stream full of water and slowly sinking. True is may not be taking on anymore water but the requirement to maneuver around the next bend will predictably bring on a "sinking sensation" literally.

Sure. Holding steady is better than a dam breaking but let's not kid ourselves. In the study, "overall, nearly 32 percent of kids are considered overweight, roughly 16 percent were considered obese, and approximately 11 percent were considered extremely obese." It's nothing to write home about and will continue to make blogging headlines for some time.

How to increase preschooler's physical activity

Relationships between the home environment and physical activity and dietary patterns of preschool children was reported in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Journal last month.

They found that 3 factors influenced the amount of children's physical activity at home. 1. parental physical activity, 2. size of backyard, and 3. amount of outdoor play equipment.

Preschoolers in Family Care Homes Need More Physical Activity
In a related study according to research released Friday at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), privately owned and operated family child care homes, as the second largest child care provider, may need to assess the opportunities and programs for preschoolers to be active based on these results.

When the children were not napping, most of their activities were sedentary. On average, 264 of their 330 daily minutes (excluding nap time) were inactive. Light physical activity was achieved just a portion of their day, at around 36.5 minutes, with moderate activities at only about 14 minutes. Vigorous and moderate-to-vigorous activities combined were just approximately 18 minutes.

As a result of the findings, author Stewart Trost, Ph.D. stated, "Getting programs in place to help private care providers and building awareness about boosting these kids' activity is important, and can be an early intervention in getting them active for later stages in their growth and development."

More on preschool physical activity study....

Other posts on preschool physical activity

Barriers to Physical Activity in Child Care Centers Identified

Creating a better playground

Nutrition in Schools: Schooling on Nutrition

Childhood obesity is the public health crisis affecting the world!

Explore:

1) What lead to the current epidemic?

2) What research tells us about the schools’ influence on childhood obesity?

3) What schools can do?

USDA Eat Smart Play Hard

for free materials!

http://www.fns.usda.gov/EATSMARTPLAYHARD/

LISTEN HERE

Pretending Not to Know What We Know

I read an article today that definitely fits into the "pretending not to know what we know" category identified by esteemed educational researcher Carl Glickman. Such was the title of an article by Glickman in the early 80's . I think his reasoning is still applicable today.... Consider the story below.

In San Diego, CA Physical Education teacher Jessica Casilla encourages students to, "Come walk. Come on, warm up that body,” she urges students at Mount Vernon Elementary School during their morning volunteer walk towards the Mustang Mileage Club.

The school hired Casillas three years ago to help its kids shape up. Casillas, a former Point Loma Nazarene University softball star, has a master's degree in exercise science from the California University of Pennsylvania. Principal Gustavo Vazquez said, “There's also a strong correlation between exercising several times a week and higher performance in academics.

A 2007 study conducted by researchers at three Georgia universities points to a positive relationship between exercise and a child's ability to think. Additionally, brain researchers have been singing the praises of physical activity and its connection to academic performance.

Here's where the "pretending not to know" comes in, last month the district gave Casillas a pink slip otherwise known as a layoff notice. Even though Principal Vazquez, who calls it the morning running program the “read, run, brain, brawn” program, said he feels confident that the combination of individualized learning and working out will net higher scores on the upcoming California Standards Test.

Barriers to Physical Activity in Child Care Centers Identified

A new study on outdoor physical activity in preschool children identified some unexpected barriers. “It’s things we never expected, from flip flops, mulch near the playground, children who come to child care without a coat on chilly days, to teachers talking or texting on cell phones while they were supposed to be supervising the children,” according to Kristen Copeland, M.D., lead author of the study which was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. She noted that because there are so many benefits of physical activity for children – from prevention of obesity, to better concentration and development of gross motor skills – it’s important to know what barriers to physical activity may exist at child-care centers. Approximately 56% of 3-6 year olds spend time in preschools and child care centers.

“We found several previously unreported barriers that meant kids had to stay inside, including inappropriate footwear such as flip flops and inappropriate clothing for the weather,” said Dr. Copeland. In some child care centers, if one child in the group shows up without a coat on a chilly day, she noted, that means the whole group has to stay inside. Even more surprising to the researchers was the fact that the child-care staff members said some parents appear to intentionally keep their children’s coats (or send children without coats) so they’d have to stay inside, which staff attributed to parents’ concerns about the child getting injured or dirty, or a having a cold that may be exacerbated by cold weather. Just as in the case of barrier to physical activity in school age children, preschool teachers also reported pressure to teach students "academics" was interfering as well.

"Playground surfacing or 'mulch' was also a concern of day care staff” said Dr. Copeland. “Many said that the kids eat the mulch, or use it as weapons, or it gets caught in their shoes. It also requires constant upkeep. It’s certainly not something that we had anticipated as an issue, but judging by the amount of and intensity of the discussions among child care teachers, it really is.”

The study presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 5, was conducted at 34 child care centers in Cincinnati.

Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-05/cchm-ffm050108.php

A Winning Strategy behind Rock, Paper, Scissors Game

When it comes to the Rock, Paper, Scissor game,
it's all in fun but still a little strategy never hurts.
Scientists in the UK have "studied" this popular playground game and concluded that one should start with scissors as it has a psychological advantage.

Research shows that a rock (or stone) is the most popular of the three possible moves in the game of quickfire hand gestures.
If your opponent expects you to pick stone, they will choose paper to outwit you.
Therefore, by going with scissors, you will win, because scissors beat paper. Who knew such strategy would prove helpful?

If you find this intriguing, read on to find out how a 10 year old girl advised her father and successfully secured Christie's auction house of a $10 million deal in 2005.

Time spent in PE benefits academic learning in girls

With the implementation of the Federal 'No Child Left Behind' regulations schools have been eliminating both physical education and recess citing the need for extended periods of instruction emphasizing math and reading skills. However, that may soon change. Results from a study released on April 2 indicates that a small but significant benefit for academic achievement in mathematics and reading was observed for girls enrolled in higher amounts (70-300 minutes per week) of physical education (referent: 0- 35 minutes per week). Higher amounts of physical education were not positively or negatively associated with academic achievement among boys.

It is an interesting finding given some educators have maintained that time spent in physical education was having an adverse effect on academic learning.

Public health officials have yet another view. Increasing physical activity through physical education is a proposed public health strategy to reduce childhood obesity. They maintain that school-based physical education has many benefits, including increasing physical activity and improving physical fitness and muscular endurance.

This study titled, Physical Education and Academic Achievement in Elementary School, supports findings from previous studies in which investigators concluded that time spent in physical education did not harm academic achievement and that it may have a modest favorable effect on achievement.

Related Blogs on PE and Academics
Can physical activity improve test taking performance?

Running : Miracle-Gro for the Brain

A child's view of "healthy diet"

By Andrea Bossenmeyer

A new report asked children what a healthy diet is, and they responded "One in which you do not gain weight." Rather than a diet that gives you all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals you need to grow and develop.

They also interviewed children as young as four. The research indicates that children can be strongly prejudiced against overweight people. Children had little sympathy for people who are overweight. Their perception was that these people are lazy and responsible for their condition.

The kids said that weight and size was how they determined a healthy person. They determined that the unhealthy effects of eating bad shows only externally (fat, skin issues, bad teeth), the children didn't consider internal consequences.

The report also found that while children were well able to recognize healthy foods from unhealthy foods, when they were given the option of a nutritious lunch or a meal with a high sugar content, they tended to opt for the unhealthier option.

To read more about the The Voice of Young People Report

Related Blogs on nutrition and Overweight
What consists of an appropriate snack?
Nutrition training changes eating habits of preschoolers.

Research on Recess

Rachel Sindelar wrote an article entitled, "Is recess necessary in the 21st Century?"

In her report she talks about the trend to eliminate recess and the debate over whether or not recess should remain a standard part of the elementary school daily schedule. The report also identifies the major issues surrounding this debate, summarizes some of the literature relating to the topic of recess, and guides the reader to additional resources on recess.

This report is a great overview of recess research. Recess Necessary Report.......

RAND STUDY FINDS SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS RESOURCE IN OBESITY BATTLE

A RAND Corporation study says school playgrounds can be important tools in the fight against childhood obesity. However, many are locked and inaccessible to children on weekends – especially in poor and minority neighborhoods.

The study called the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG) found that, on average, 66 percent of the schools were unlocked on weekends. But only 57 percent of schools were both unlocked and had accessible facilities for weekend physical activities such as playgrounds, athletic fields, basketball courts and paved playing surfaces.

“Girls who lived near locked schools tended to be heavier, and neighborhoods with locked schools were disproportionately poor and had larger minority populations,” said Molly M. Scott, lead author of the study and research analyst with RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “These neighborhoods, where risk of obesity is high and public parks and playgrounds are often lacking, could benefit from convenient and safe places for physical activity. And making schools accessible doesn't require construction. It's a policy change.”

More on Playground Accessibility study....

Pedometers spur physical activity

The pedometer, a simple and inexpensive step-counting device, significantly increases daily activity levels and even promotes weight loss, according to a recent study directed by Dena Bravata, a senior research scientist at Stanford’s School of Medicine.

Bravata and her team of researchers analyzed study results from 2,767 people, mostly overweight and inactive women, who agreed to keep records of their physical activity while using a pedometer over an 18-week period. On average, the study found that the participants using pedometers increased their daily activity by 2,183 steps.

“Just over 2,100 steps might not sound like that much, but it equates to a 27 percent increase in physical activity — which is really astounding,” said Bravata in a Nov. 20 School of Medicine news release.

Bravata also observed that most participants experienced a drop in systolic blood pressure and a slightly lower body mass index (BMI) after using a pedometer for the duration of the study.

Though the study did not formally analyze why a pedometer might motivate people to increase their daily activity levels, Crystal Smith-Spangler, one of the members of the research team at Stanford, had a few suggestions.

More on pedometers and motivation......

Peaceful Playgrounds Inc found that children were also motivated to move by pedometers. In a 16 week pedometer program called "We Count" students increased their steps by 40%.The We Count Program received a Promising Practices Award from the Promising Practices Afterschool Association.

More on the children's pedometer research from Peaceful Playgrounds.......

Healthy Habits Add Years to Lifespan

A research study released last week in London found that to get an extra 14 years of life, don't smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in moderation.

However, it is not expected that this "new knowledge" will have much of an effect. When conducting my dissertation research I came to realize that knowledge rarely motivates one into action. There is often a gap between what we know we should do and "doing it".

"Most people know that things like a good diet matter and that smoking is not good for you," said Kay-Tee Khaw of the University of Cambridge, a researcher who conducted the research. "We need to work on providing people with much more practical support to help them change."

"We can't say that any one person could gain 14 years by doing these things," said Dr. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization. "The 14 years is an average across the population of what's theoretically possible."

More on the healthy habits study....

RESEARCH: Daily Physical Education Reduces Obesity

A recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found that participation in daily physical education classes decreased the odds of becoming an overweight adult by 28%.

"The message for policy makers is that the failure to offer physical education is 'penny wise and pound foolish,"' study investigator Dr. Robert Wm. Blum from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, told Reuters Health.

"With obesity at epidemic proportions, an intervention which appears to hold as much promise as daily physical education does in maintaining normal weight into adulthood should be given highest priority," Blum said.

More on physical education reduces obesity....

Study Promotes 'Exercise-Friendly' Day-Care Centers

A study by researchers from University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill School of Public Health found that children did more moderate and vigorous physical activity if the child-care center: had more portable play equipment, such as balls, jump ropes, hula hoops and riding toys; offered more opportunities for indoor and outdoor active play; and provided physical activity training and education for staff and students.

Contrary to popular belief, climbing structures, swings, balance beams and other stationary playground equipment were associated with less intense physical activity, according to the study. However, these items are beneficial to other aspects of child development, such as motor and social skills, the researchers noted.

Peaceful Playgrounds finding number 2 relating to the importance of consumable or loose equipment (balls, jump ropes, hoops etc) is consistent with this finding when applied to elementary school students. The addition of this new information on preschool age children further emphasizes the importance of the availability of portable equipment in enhancing children's physical activity levels.

Kids eat more fruits, vegetables when schools offer salad bar

A new UCLA study has found that elementary schools can significantly increase the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income students by providing a lunch salad bar.

The findings, published in the December issue of the international peer-reviewed journal Public Health Nutrition, show that the frequency of students' fruit and vegetable consumption increased significantly — from 2.97 to 4.09 times daily — after a salad bar was introduced. In addition, students' mean daily intake of energy, cholesterol, saturated fat and total fat declined considerably.

"One of the major contributing factors to the high rate of overweight children in the United States is that they do not consume the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables," said lead author Dr. Wendy Slusser, assistant professor of pediatrics at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA and the UCLA School of Public Health. "Increasing the availability and accessibility to healthy foods is one way to impact children's diets. In turn, this sets up opportunities for kids to have repeated exposure to healthy food and positively impact their choices."

Kids eating more fruits and vegetables.....

Phone message motivates participants to get out and walk

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Fitness research shows that when a computer talks the talk, even couch potatoes can be persuaded to walk the walk. Researchers at Stanford University, who studied sedentary people for a year, found that automated exercise reminder phone calls had about the same get-up-and-go power as calls from human counselors.

"The recording had a very nice, kind of cheerleader voice. It sounded very natural," said study participant Rita Horiguchi, who was initially disappointed to be assigned to get computer calls. "She would say things like, 'That's very good. I think you can go a little farther next week.' So I would do a little bit more.'"

Horiguchi was one of 218 adults over 55 in the San Francisco Bay area who took part in the study, known as Community Health Advice by Telephone, or CHAT. The goal was to get them out walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes most days, or engage in some other medium-intense activity, for a total of about 150 minutes a week.

More on walking research.....