American Journal of Public Health, Vol 91, Issue 4 618-620, Copyright © 2001 by American Public Health Association

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The association of school environments with youth physical activity

JF Sallis, TL Conway, JJ Prochaska, TL McKenzie, SJ Marshall and M Brown
Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Court, #103, San Diego, CA 92120, USA. sallis@mail.sdsu.edu

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the association of school environmental characteristics with student physical activity on campus. METHODS: Physical activity areas (n = 137) at 24 public middle schools were assessed for area type, size, and improvements (e.g., basketball courts). Student physical activity and the presence of equipment and supervision were directly observed before school, after lunch, and after school. RESULTS: Environmental characteristics explained 42% of the variance in the proportion of girls who were physically active and 59% of the variance for boys. CONCLUSIONS: School environments with high levels of supervision and improvements stimulated girls and boys to be more physically active.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. C. Leviton Children's Healthy Weight and the School Environment The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, January 1, 2008; 615(1): 38 - 55. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. M. Segal and E. A. Gadola Generation O: Addressing Childhood Overweight before It's Too Late The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, January 1, 2008; 615(1): 195 - 213. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. M. Davis, B. Gance-Cleveland, S. Hassink, R. Johnson, G. Paradis, and K. Resnicow Recommendations for Prevention of Childhood Obesity Pediatrics, December 1, 2007; 120(Supplement_4): S229 - S253. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. P. Elder, L. Lytle, J. F. Sallis, D. R. Young, A. Steckler, D. Simons-Morton, E. Stone, J. B. Jobe, J. Stevens, T. Lohman, et al. A description of the social-ecological framework used in the trial of activity for adolescent girls (TAAG) Health Educ. Res., April 1, 2007; 22(2): 155 - 165. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. D. Hanson and E. Chen Socioeconomic Status, Race, and Body Mass Index: The Mediating Role of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors during Adolescence J. Pediatr. Psychol., April 1, 2007; 32(3): 250 - 259. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Pilote, K. Dasgupta, V. Guru, K. H. Humphries, J. McGrath, C. Norris, D. Rabi, J. Tremblay, A. Alamian, T. Barnett, et al. A comprehensive view of sex-specific issues related to cardiovascular disease Can. Med. Assoc. J., March 13, 2007; 176(6): S1 - S44. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A. Cohen, T. L. McKenzie, A. Sehgal, S. Williamson, D. Golinelli, and N. Lurie Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity Am J Public Health, March 1, 2007; 97(3): 509 - 514. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Haerens, B. Deforche, L. Maes, G. Cardon, V. Stevens, and I. De Bourdeaudhuij Evaluation of a 2-year physical activity and healthy eating intervention in middle school children Health Educ. Res., December 1, 2006; 21(6): 911 - 921. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Pabayo, J. O'Loughlin, L. Gauvin, G. Paradis, and K. Gray-Donald Effect of a Ban on Extracurricular Sports Activities by Secondary School Teachers on Physical Activity Levels of Adolescents: A Multilevel Analysis Health Educ Behav, October 1, 2006; 33(5): 690 - 702. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. K. Richmond, R. A. Hayward, S. Gahagan, A. E. Field, and M. Heisler Can school income and racial/ethnic composition explain the racial/ethnic disparity in adolescent physical activity participation? Pediatrics, June 1, 2006; 117(6): 2158 - 2166. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. P. Saunders and J. Moody Community Agency Survey Formative Research Results From the TAAG Study Health Educ Behav, February 1, 2006; 33(1): 12 - 24. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. Hume, J. Salmon, and K. Ball Children's perceptions of their home and neighborhood environments, and their association with objectively measured physical activity: a qualitative and quantitative study Health Educ. Res., February 1, 2005; 20(1): 1 - 13. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. S. Moody, J. J. Prochaska, J. F. Sallis, T. L. McKenzie, M. Brown, and T. L. Conway Viability of Parks and Recreation Centers as Sites for Youth Physical Activity Promotion Health Promot Pract, October 1, 2004; 5(4): 438 - 443. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. Datar and R. Sturm Physical Education in Elementary School and Body Mass Index: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Am J Public Health, September 1, 2004; 94(9): 1501 - 1506. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. C. Carter The Impact of Public Schools on Childhood Obesity JAMA, November 6, 2002; 288(17): 2180 - 2180. [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. E. Adler and K. Newman Socioeconomic Disparities In Health: Pathways And Policies Health Aff., March 1, 2002; 21(2): 60 - 76. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]