Feb. 12, 2003

Contact: Ranjit Arab, University Relations, (785) 864-8855.

National study involving KU researchers finds kids need more physical activity

LAWRENCE -- A few more minutes of dodge ball may be just what American kids need, according to a national study involving researchers at the University of Kansas.

A recent study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that most American children are not receiving enough vigorous exercise through their school's physical education program.

The study, which was published in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found that on average, American children had 2.1 P.E. classes a week, totaling 68.7 minutes a week, only 25 minutes of which were spent in moderate to vigorous activity. Previous studies have recommended that children spend between 30 to 60 minutes per day in moderate to vigorous physical activity. The researchers defined moderate activity as normal walking or the equivalent.

The study, which is the most comprehensive to date, followed more than 1,300 children at 10 sites across the nation, including KU. The children participating in the study have been enrolled in the research project since birth and currently are in the sixth grade. Researchers periodically observed and evaluated the kids during their P.E. classes.

Carolyn Roy, courtesy assistant professor of human development and family life at KU and principal investigator for the Kansas site, said the national study included more than 130 children born in the Lawrence and Topeka area. While most of those children remain in the area, some since have moved as far away as Alaska yet continue to participate in the study.

Roy said the study emphasized the importance of providing good-quality physical education to schoolchildren at an early age.

"Clearly there is national concern that Americans are becoming more obese over the years," she said. "If we can start a healthy lifestyle in childhood, we may be able to reverse that trend."

Still, it's not simply a case of adding more time to P.E. classes, Roy said.

Instead, the study found that P.E. instructors need to manage class time better so children spend more time in actual activity, and they need to do a better job of encouraging girls to participate.

The study found that boys spent a greater percentage of class time in physical activity (38.3 percent) than did girls (35.6 percent).

Roy said the study is extremely timely because many schools are considering trimming or eliminating P.E. programs as a means of cutting costs.

"That's an obvious area for school districts that have a budget crunch to make cuts because they want to keep the core academics going, and the 'frills' -- the music and P.E. courses -- are usually the first to be cut," she said.

However, Roy said the study found that supporting P.E. programs did not come at the expense of academics.

"There is certainly evidence that including P.E. classes does not have a detrimental effect on the children's school achievement -- even large increases in amount and level of exercise did not have any bad effect," she said. "Given the other health and psychological benefits of these P.E. classes, I think it's important that we keep them."

The national study plans to follow these students into their high school years, and researchers are seeking additional funding to further the project, she said.

As this study continues, Roy said, KU and the state of Kansas would play a critical role in relaying the experiences of American kids.

"To have KU involved in national research is very good for the university and the state," she said. "And if we're studying populations -- adults or children -- it's important that the heartland, as the center of the country, be represented."