Briefly, the third grade children in the study received an average of 25 minutes per week in school of moderate to vigorous activity. Experts in the U.S. have recommended that young people should participate in physical activity of at least moderate intensity for 30 to 60 minutes each day. In addition, Healthy People 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) set of health objectives for Americans, seeks to increase the number of schools requiring daily PE for all students. Last June, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson released a report, "Physical Activity Fundamental to Preventing Disease,"which estimated that 300,000 Americans die each year as a result of a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits.
The current analysis, of school PE activities for third graders taking part in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care, appears in the February Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
"Obesity and lack of physical fitness in our young children may set the stage for diabetes, heart disease, and other serious health problems later in life," said Duane Alexander, M.D., director of the NICHD. "President Bush, Secretary Thompson and all of us in HHS are committed to doing more to promote active, healthier lifestyles, especially for our children. This study provides important information for parents and school systems to take into account when devising physical education programs for children in their districts."
The NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development enrolled just over 1,300 children at birth at 10 research sites throughout the United States. The researchers conduct periodic observations and evaluations of many aspects of the children's lives as they progress from infancy through adolescence. The current analysis was conducted on information gained from direct observations of the children participating in the study while they were in physical activity classes.
The NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development is not a survey of a representative sample of children in the United States. Rather, the investigators recruited a geographically, economically and ethnically diverse sample of children from across the United States.
