Physical education and recess requirements in U.S. elementary schools lead to increased levels of overall physical activity in children, a new study finds. As reported by HealthDay News, the study from the University of Illinois found that minimum requirements in public school can help kids stay healthy and avoid the ongoing trend of childhood obesity.
Because children spend most of their time in school, public education can have a big role in the fight against childhood obesity, researchers said in their report. Unfortunately, despite the presence of national guidelines, many schools fail to give elementary students the full 150 minutes per week suggested by the National Association of Sports and Physical Education.
Instead, state- and school district-level policies are the most effective in getting children the amount of exercise they need. After looking at data from 47 states and 690 school districts, study leader Sandy Slater found that states with policies encouraging 20 minutes of recess a day were more likely to meet national goals.
Unfortunately, 83 percent of the states examined had no daily recess law and less than half had legislation addressing the need for physical education for elementary school children. Similarly, children in already disadvantaged circumstances were the least likely to get the physical exercise they need. Slater and her colleagues found that schools with high numbers of minority children and children receiving free or subsidized lunches were less likely to have their suggested recess time than white students in affluent areas.
Overall, only 20 percent of third graders surveyed in the United States received the suggested amount of recess time in the 2007-2008 school year, HealthDay reported.
The report can be found online in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
